The Daily News. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1912. SOUTH AFRICA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 196, 16 February 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1912. SOUTH AFRICA.

South Africa is frightened of Germany. At least that is what Sir Percy Fitzpatrick, speaking in the Cape Assembly intimated. It is but half a truth. Afrikanders of British parentage and Britishera in Africa are nervous of Germany. Hollanders and Dutch Afrikanders in South Africa are not frightened of Germany, and would, it may be presumed, welcome more eagerly a great inrush of Germans than Britishers. Go back a few years. In the ranks of the Boer army were very many Germans. In the regular defensive service, in the South African police, the German element was very strong. German non-coms, instructed the Transvaal artillery, and many of the rank and file were German ex-sol-diers. There was a brotherly affinity that could not be questioned. It was German policemen who were roughest on "outlander" Britishers in Johannesburg, German Hebrew storekeepers who owned countless "winkels" (stores) throughout Cape Colony, the Free States, the Transvaal, Rhodesia and Natal, German traders who had the greatest interest in the Rand mines and huge interests in diamond fields. When peace was declared the administrative service of the new colonies was placed in the hands of British and Dutch public servants. When however, the rough work was done, when the Dutch were re-established, when everything they had lost (except the lives of their brave soldiers) was restored, the British element was carefully pared down. It is indicative of the feeling that still exists against the British in South Africa that an English officer, well known in New Zealand, who travelled throughout South Africa, was unable to get any aged Dutch Afrikander to talk to him in English, the "neverenders" still hating the British. There is, of course, no corresponding hate for the Germans, who rather helped than deterred them in the war. General Botha, in replying to the statement of Sir Perey Fitzpatrick, who urged a greater influx of British emigrants, said he would assist poor white Africa first.

As a matter of fact, there is no "poor White Africa," if one excepts the people who would be poor and futile and uselcsß anywhere. The alarming supposition contained in Sir Percy Fitzpatrick's words: "If British people withdrew they could not hope to hold South Africa," is another way of saying that the British are not invited to stay, and that there would be no lack of hospitality to Germans. There is no doubt whatever that British people in South Africa lose their love for work. They become less, ambitious, except to gain affluence without application, and it is because the subject black races supply the labor market. In talking about the "great virile race," the Germans and their possible entry into South Africa, Sir Percy Fitzpatrick possibly did not take into account the probability of the Germans being bitten with the "wacht-een bitje" (wait-a-bit, "taihoa") microbe, too. No white race will remain virile in* Africa as long as it can He around and order its niggers to do everything but the actual planning. No race ever lived on planning alone. The Boer was ever lazy, because of the nigger, and the British Afrikander is as lazy as the Boer. Although it may be within the bounds of probability that Germany may strive for a place in Africa, there is no possibility that Germany can breed on African soil a race physically or mentally as capable as she breeds at Home. There is also no possibility that Germany would people Africa more rapidly than the Dutch and other white races. It is true that the dominating Dutch 'element is antagonistic to British immigration and will always be so as long as the dominancy continues. The possible hope of South Africa is the substitution for a Dutch eader and a distinctly pro-Dutct legislature of a powerful British leader, with the ideals of Cecil Rhodes as his guide