The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-02-20
A CALIFORNIAN ON SOUTH AFRICA


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We in Hawaii have mighty little to
do with South Africa, but it interests
us, especially because of the number
of Californians who are out there to
develop its resources and of whom
many are known to our citizens. An
article which has appeared in the
North American Review" written by
John Hays Hammond, is especially in
teresting, in that it gives an account of
the country from the pen of an eX-
pert and from one who has been near
to death for the cause of reedom and
the development of Anglo Saxon insti-
tutions in South Africa. There is more
practical information contained in Mr..
llammond's sixteen pages than has
been contained in volumes that the
writer has read and in acres of news
papers that he has waded through.
The position of South Africa is the
position on a large scale of all the out
posts of Anglo Saxon civilization. But
first it may be well to define South
Africa. 1t is bounded on the north
by the Iambesi river and includes
within its scope German West Africa,
the Portuguese possessions { Mazam-
bique, the Transvaal and Orange Free
States, Rhodesia and the British Col
onies. The population amounts to
II. 4. IL
dred and fifty thousand are whites,
and of these the English and Dutch
preponderate. The six hundred and
fifty thousand dominate the six mil
lions. Calculating this out, il is just
thirteen per cent of tie population
that make the laws for and control the
balance of the population of -he coun-
try. Mr.. Hammond does not tell us
how much of the six hundred and fifty
thousand is Anglo Saxon, but it GER
tainly cannot be nalf, ana yet it is
bound to be the dominant race within
the next decade.
A phase of the Dutch question:,
which has not come under the critics
eyes before, is that though they have
been the pioneers their settlement
has only been possible through the as
sistance given by Great Britain in sup
pressing the revolutions of the Kafrs,
with whom the pioneers came in con-
iict." Mr.. Hammond says: ut is
owing to the unique colonizing capac-
ity of Great Britain that South Africa
owes the important position she holds
today"
Mr.. Hammond gives clear sum
mary of the wealth of South Africa,
and shows that eventul"Y, like Cali.
fornia, it will depen, upon its agricul-
tural resources, but he also shows that
for the present it must depend upon
its mineral resources. How great these
are can be seen from the following
figures. In 1869 golu was first discov-
cred, in 1885 the great deposits were
discovered, and two years later $4,000
ounces of gold were exported. But in
1895 there was Il very different story to
tell. During that year from the Trans
vaal alone there were exported 9,767,-
600 ounces of gold, bringing a total
value of $15S,75O,OOO. Beside the gold
there is COAL lead, silver, cinnabar and
tin, which will be developed later. Ger
tainly the country is rich and is bound
in time to become powerful factor IN
1t "a hn
sphere. 1t may even react upon the
Pacific States, for it is bound, in time,
to come into collision with the Aus
tralian Colonies.
With so much wealth and such
small number of Anglo SaNons, Mr..
Hammond says that there is always
danger of a general uprising of the
Katir population and the only thing
that at present saves them is the in
ability of the Kafir to organize.
The article under review is intense
ly interesting and touches upon some
questions which our statesmen here
might consider with advantage. Con-
ditions are different, it is true, but
lesson in government can he learned.
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