GENERAL BOTHA'S FAILURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 181, 18 December 1912, Page 6

GENERAL BOTHA'S FAILURE.

General Botha, Prime Minister of South Africa, Ims resigned. This step, go the cable says, represents the culmination of a long series of dissensions between the Moderates and Dutch extremists in the Cabinet. Dissension has been known to exist in the South African Cabinet for the best part of a year. General Hertzog has had a long-standing quarrel with Messrs Burton and Malan, while Mr. Sauer for a long time held consistently aloof from the other Ministers. The correspondent of the Morning Post, in writing of the situation some months ago, said:—"Tt is clear that the hopes which centred oil" General Botlm have been false hopes. Moderate men of both races looked to him to restrain the extremists in his own party. . . . The record of the Prime Minister, since that time, has been one of verbal conciliation of his opponents and passive encouragement of those on his own side who desire to exploit to the fullest extent the racial advantages which the power of self-government has given them. He formed his Ministry on the lines of the old party divisions. That done, he began to make speeches inviting support from the moderates of both races. Ilis political programme reproduced with an almost verbal accuracy that of the Unionists. IJo attempted to smooth over the violently racial speeches of the Minister of Justice during the elections: but lie could never be brought to a clear condemnation of those speeches. In Parliament, where the moderate clement on both sides is very strong, he consistently lent the weight of his personality to counsels of moderation. This much must- stand to his credit. Then he went away to England. In, his absence the extremist section of the Cabinet broke out. General Hertzog stumped the country, delivering speeches inspired by the most bitter spirit of racial reaction. Vieneral Botha returned. It was obvious that lie must declare himself. If lie allowed the Hertzog campaign to pass without any eondemnation.it was clear that he dared not rebuke the extremists. Ho did allow it to pass without condemnation. The inference was irresistible. The Government machine is in the hands of_ the extremists. We are back, then, in the old weary rut of South African politics. The hope of a real political division, on the basis of principles other than that of racial adhesion, is gone. The Dutch-speaking people of South Africa hold the political power, and they will be false to all their traditions if they do not use it for their own advantage. Indeed, it is more than clear that tliey intend to do so. They are without political scruple; their canons of political honesty are those of the Kruger regime in the Transvaal; they see no harm in log-rolling and corruption for the benefit of their" own race. These things are bred in the bone of them. They are already beginning to come out. The future is, therefore, dark enough. It is clear that the theory that political power evokes in those who possess it a sense of political responsibility is not true of the Dutch-speaking people of South Africa. I speak of the mass of them. There is a minority which is not tarred with this pitch. .To this minority General liotha and his personal adherents belong. But it is perfectly plain now that they are not strong enough to carry with them any considerable section of their own people. Or, if they are strong enough, they are not courageous enough to put their strength to the test. It is a gloomy prospect and 110 one can say what will happen in the near future. The one certainty is that the Dutch-speaking people of South Afiic<x aie still united for political action on a racial basis."