The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1914. SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WAR.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 110, 2 October 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 1914. SOUTH AFRICA AND THE WAR.

General Botha's assumption of the supreme control of operations against Gorman South-West Africa is characterised by tlie ''Rand Mail" as an effective "answer to General Beyers and his splenatie sanctimonious satellites." It will bo remembered that General Beyers, who was the Commandant-General of the Citizen Forces of tie Union of South Africa, questioned the wisdom of the administration in sending troops to conquer the territories of the Empire's enemies, and took up generally a pro-Ger-man attitude. His disloyalty has the deepest disapproval of South Africans, particularly among the Boers themselves, who are as ready now to fight for the Empire as they were, not fifteen years ago, to fight against it. General Botha's action is just what one would 'have expected of him in a crisis. lie has relieved the truculent general of Itia command and taken it up himself. Of the two generals, Botlm is undoubtedly the better, and already he has shown that the neighboring Germans cannot make incursions into British territory with impunity; further, that when Britain is at war with another country, South Africa is also. German South-West Africa is a prize worth taking. Ilerr Dernburg, the Colonial Minister largely responsible for Germany's overseas aspirations, looked upon Geraian SouthWest Africa as a future rival of Canada and the Argentine. Germany is said to have spent nearly a hundred million sterling on her Colonial Empire during the last 25 years, and the war with the Herrcros, tho natives in this particular part of it, cost over twenty millions sterling. It is a huge territory, comprising over 300,000 square miles, stretching northward from South Africa. A great deal of the land is cultivatable, and is very fertile and well watered. Its annual exports are increasing, and in 1913 were worth nearly three quarters of a million sterling. All these figures are capable of great development under a more enlightened system of colonisation than that practised by Germany. The population totals nearly SO.LkxJ Hottentots and Bushmen, who, after the bitter war of extermination prosecuted against them, will have little desire to sec the continuance of the German rule; and there are 12,000 Germans, 3000 of whom constitute tho military force, though no doubt all tho adult males will bear arms in the conflict with South Africa. The total length of railway opened is 130-1 miles, and there are 1,599,436 miles of telegraph wire. There ia little agriculture, tho chief industries being pastoral, large herds of Bheep, cattle and goats being kept. The copper and iron mines are also very valuable. The fact that the German Government spent two and a half millions sterling in development in West Africa last year forms a good basis for comparison between German and British systems of colonisation. English colonies become self-reliant almost from their foundation, whereas under the German method colonies are a drain upon the Fatherland for many years after tlieir establishment. The timo is not fur distant when the whole of tho German African colonies will fall to Britain and her allies, as have Samoa, New Guinea and the other Pacific islands, This is a part of the price Germany will pay for daring to dominate the world. For the last twenty years Germany has been endeavouring to build up a colonial empire, not counting the cost or the sacrifice, and the plucking of her colonies at this stage will come as a great blow t> her pride and ambitions.