TEN YEARS AFTER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 65, 3 August 1912, Page 4

TEN YEARS AFTER.

Mr L. E. Xftanie lias a remarkable story to tell of .South Africa in the last ten years in the London Daily .Mail, of which he is the Johannesburg correspondent. "On May 31, wan signed the Peace of Veroeniging. which closed the great Boer War," lie writer. '"Ten years ago. Only ten years. Little indeed in the life of a nation, but crowded years. Then there was desolalion and despair, a ruined land, ami an embittered race. To-day the Parliament of the Union of Soutii Africa sits at Capetown, and the leader of the enemy Ls at the head of a Goj vernnient in tile election of which Englishmen played a deciding part. A strange story this of federation in South Africa. Even now few historians apreciate its romance. It was reached by a rough road, different indeed from that visioned by Grey and Carnarvon. Discontent, separation, disaster, vast schillings, 'only dimly recognised gave by a few master minds, the Raid, ever-grow-ing dissatisfaction, war. military rule, repatriation, Crown Colony administration, self-Government for the once Republics, racial outbursts, language difficulties, suspicions, prejudices—all the.se the land knew. And 'in this strange, chaotic story, containing so much that need never liave been, the ten years after the war ought to rank as the. most important period of all. Jt has been the decade of reconstruction and of understanding. lien have seen .more clearly since 1902. Yet the.se ten years imposed a final test as severe as that- of actual conflict. Jt has been a. time of strain and uncertainty in political life, sometimes of deep depression in commercial and social life. The extraordinary business optimism which was a feature of the n'lonlhs immediately following the. Peace gave way to ever greater pessimism. Everywhere .retrenchment. Everywhere unemployment. Everywhere white families leaving for other lands. Looking back, one wonders sometimes how South Africa managed to live through it all as she did. A smaller people must have failed, The community which stood such a test must have in it the makings of a nation. But after ten years South Africa is still misunderstood: You read in some of tile 'English papers that British policy has been a failure. The assertion appears to be demanded by the exigencies of party warfare. British policy in SouUl Africa has not failed. It has put down a foundation .solid enough to support a nation. England has done her part well. The form of the superstructure rests with South Africa. A bold experiment was-made. So far it has been justified by results. The dominating feeling of the South African who on May 31. 1912. looks hack across the years to May .11. 1902, must be one of thankfulness. Thankfulness there must be for material progress. Ten years ago a I'aml laid waste; to-dav breaking every trade record it ever' set up. The output of the mines mounts ever higher. Agriculture is advancing, and with the spread of education and the growing up of a new generation trained in modern methods greater prosperity is assured. What is needed is an effort to attract more white men. Without that much of the sacrifices of the past will have been made in vain. In time South Africa may see that clearlv also. And there must iie a deeper thankfulness for social peace. For that is the foundation of all things. Here and there the old prejudices 'and animosities may linger. But in all seriousness there is more bitterness left in England than there is in South Africa. ° For political purposes some of the newspapers ma}' be inclined to fan the racial flame on occasions. Extremists on both sides are guilty. Yet if you get away from the politicians and go among the common people you will find an atmosphere of friendliness. True, • the language trouble remains, but the problem is solving itself. Leave it alone for another ten years and it will have disappeared. On the tenth anniversarv of the Peace there i.s reason to be very hopeful of the future of South Africa. '