SOUTH AFRICAN REBELS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 148, 17 November 1914, Page 6

SOUTH AFRICAN REBELS.

"OLD IRRECONCILABLES." TROUBLE WILL SOON END. AN AMERICAN'S OPINIONS. Wellington, Thursday. Some interesting opinions on the South African trouble were expressed by Mr Francis Drake, a prominent mining engineer from Rhodesia and the 'Transvaal, who arrived in Wellington by tlie Maitai from Sydney. Mr Drake is an American, but has resided in British colonies for some thirty years, and was in South Africa at the time of the Boer War. He left Capetown on October 4. In 3lr Drake's opinion, the rebellion will not amount to anything serious. "One cannot expect to see these black veldt Boers will fight for us and with us," he said. "They cannot yet fully appreciate the benefit they have received and are receiving from the British connection. They still have the remembrance of fighting against the British, and they also remember that they had the sympathy of Germany during the Boer War, and that' is carrying some weight now."

The visitor believed that they would all fight to defend their own country, but the difference of opinion was entirely wliether they should invade another country. The -South African authorities had made it a point to impress upon the Dutch that the Germans -were really the aggressors. Personally, he did not think there was any doubt but that the German forces did invade the Union before any of the Dutch were asked to go to German West (Africa.

ATTITUDE OF BE WET. When Mr Drake left Capetown, he did not think there was any liklihood of Do Wet taking any part against the British—in fact, at a meeting of burghers held in Orangia, at which De Wet was present, someone displayed on old Orange Free State flag, and De Wet was heard to exclaim, "Put that avvav. We don't want any of that nonsense here. 1 ' •fudging from that it was thought that the old time bitter feelings had sunk in the hour of Britain's need. In the Union, the great body of feeling is against the rebels, and it. is only a small body of irreconcilables who are holding out. Mr Drake is of opinion that the present war, however, will eradicate all racial feeling, for the Dutch must see the benefits they are deriving through being part of the British Empire.

THE CALL TO ARMS. A very general and enthusiastic response was made, to the call by General Botha for an army to uphold"the prestige of the Union of South Africa. There is an ordinary defence torce, but when the position began to look serious, General Botha issued a eall for volunteers, preferably men who had seen active service. That call was being responded to by all classes when Mr Drake left, and a fine body of experienced soldiers was being formed. The teeming black population of South Africa is not likely to cause trouble, according to the visitor. He had been told that when the Union troops got to German West Africa the natives were very glad to bo oil their side, and "our'' people expected great aid from them in finding water-holes as they advanced over the country.

ACTIVITY OF GERMANS. In Rhodesia, where the white population was small, a force of 500 troops had been raised for overseas service, but the Imperial authorities thought it wise to keep them in Rhodesia, as there was a possibility, in addition to a German raid, that the natives would start a rebellion. It was generally thought that the German missionaries had for some time past been fomenting feelings of unrest in the minds of the many native races; but the natives, taken altogether, did not like the Germans—in fact, sonic of the native miners in Johannesburg left the mines and went back to their own States because it was rumored that the Germans were going to take the place. The German forces in German southwest 'Africa have a very powerful wireless station. This is at Windhoek, to which place the German force lias fallen back, and under favorable conditions tliev can get direct communication with Berlin.