THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1907. SOUTH AFRICAN UNITY.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8463, 13 June 1907, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1907. SOUTH AFRICAN UNITY.

The announcement made by Dr. Smartt, the Cape Commissioner of Works, that the volunteers of Cape Colony and Natal wil' henceforth act as a federal force, is another important step towards the Federation of South Africa. The immediate cause of this amalgamation of military power is not far to seek. Both the Cape and Natal have the Black Peril always with them, and by uniting their forces secure a great advantage over native tribes, which cannot act together excepting with very great difficulty. The railways and ships being in the hands of the colonists and thus barred against any native use of an inimical character, threatened colonial Governments will now be able to increase their individual strength without Imperial assistance. When the Orange River and the Transvaal colonies join in the compact, as they may be expected to do, the bond of mutual defence against an ever-pre-sent danger will extend throughout the self-governing South African States of the Empire. With the commercial bond of a Customs' union this may provide a natural basis for federation under the flag which may be strong enough to resist the disturbing influence of Colonial Office mismanagement. In connection with this defence force agreement the unofficial statement that the Admiralty has agreed to the naval contributions of the two colonies being expended locally is of additional interest. For it implies a tendency on the part of the Imperial Government to encourage the formation of those colonial "mosquito" fleets which were in favour twenty years ago, and to regard the maintenance of naval bases as a desirable form of colonial assistance. This is a very different matter to any present attempt by colonial Governments to establish and maintain, at great

cost, powerful sea-goirig squadrons, and may prove a workable compromise between the Australian scheme and the Imperial idea.