New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol 1, No. 1: From the Beginning to March, 1915, With IndexVarious
History
New York Times Current History: The European War, Vol 1, No. 1: From the Beginning to March, 1915, With Index
Various
World War, 1914-1918
When I traveled through South Africa the other day this new Constitution
had been working for a few years, and I can only say that I was
astonished at the results. Here and there in the remoter districts, it
is true, some racial feeling still prevailed, but taken as a whole this
seems absolutely to have died away. Briton and Boer have come together
in a manner for which I believe I am right in saying there is no
precedent in the history of the world, so shortly, at any rate, after a
prolonged and bitter struggle to the death. I might give many instances,
but I will only take one. At Pretoria I was asked to inspect a company
of Boy Scouts, and there I found English and Dutch lads serving side by
side with the utmost brotherhood. Again I met most of the men who had
been leaders of the Boers in the war. One and all professed the greatest
loyalty to England. Moreover, I am certain that this was not lip
loyalty; it was from the heart. Especially was I impressed by that great
man, Gen. Botha, with whom I had several conversations. I am convinced
that at this moment the King has no truer or more faithful servant than
Gen. Botha. Again and again did I hear from prominent South Africans of
Dutch or Huguenot extraction that never more was there any chance of
trouble between Boer and Briton.
I know it is alleged by some that this is because the Dutch feel that
they have on the whole made a good bargain, having won absolute
constitutional liberty and the fullest powers of self-government, plus
the protection of the British fleet. There may be something in this
view, but I am sure that the feeling goes a great deal deeper than
self-interest. Mutual respect has arisen between those who ten years ago
were enemies fighting each other.
*Appeal to People's Imagination.*
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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