The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-06-04
FATE OF SOUTH AFRICA.
Dutch Republics to Form a Part o.
q British Federation.


New York June 4-The Tribune's
London correspondent writes:
The immediate sequel to the war will
be the annexation of the two Dutch
commemorative to the British empire.
There will be temporary arrangements
for military government, but ultimately
they win be converted into self govern
ing dependencies of the crown, like other
colonial possessions. As time goes on
the same tendencies which have brought
about. confederation in Canada and
Australia will operate with irresistible
force in South Africa. There will be
a new commonwealth bill, under which
the united colonies and dependencies of
the crown will have as large a measure
of local independence and legislative
autonomy as either Canada or Austria
liza That this confederation will be
essentially Dutch is evident from the
following exhibit of population at the
outbreak of the war: Cape Colony, 49,
900 British, 229,000 Dutch; Natal, $1,000
British, 10000 Dutch; Transvaal, 120,-
0uQ British, l25, 900 Dutch; Orange Free
State, 600 British, Il, 600 Dutch, Bechu
sanaland and F:hodesia, 10000 British,
1000 Dutch Totals. $4,000 British,
| 447 900 Dutch.
What is unmistakable is the prepon-
derance of the Dutch over the British
in numerical strength. Natal is the
only member of the group in which
British supremacy is based upon popu-
| lation In Rechuanaland and RhOdeSia
! there is also a British majority, but 1T
! is not large. In Cape Colony and the
| Orange Free State the Dutch prepon-
| derance is overwhelming, While in the
| Trarsvaal when the refugees return
/ to johannesburg the two races will be
| on terms of equality. involving strength.
| in South Africa as a whole there are
! at least 100 600 Dutch in excess OF the
/ British population. A confederation
| will be formed with a scheme of repre-
| sentative government similar to that
| of the Dominion of Canada, or to that
which will be brought into existence by
| the Australian commonwealth bill. There
| will be- unless all signs fail, a Dutch
| South Africa with a British viceroy.
| The Dutch will continue to rule Cape
| Colony and the Orange Free State, and
in the Transvaal they viii dominate
| every district except the mining camps
of the Rand South Africans predict
! that there will be an immense immigra-
| ton of British settlers as soon as the
/ war comes to an end, and the para
! mount influence of the Imperial govern
| ment is established
This forecast naturally includes the
! development of the mining industry OF
the Rand on an unprecedented scale
when johannesburg ceases to pay trl-
| butte to Pretoria and native labor IS oD-
| tanned at low prices. There Will pc
| without doubt a large increase OF Brit
ish population in the mining district
| when the Transvaa1 is converted into a
| dependency of the crown; but 1t IS by
| no means certain that immigration Will
| reverse the present conditions of Dutch
| remembrance in the other colonies The
| British in South Africa have always
| been toWnsmen. and the Dutch nave
been farmers and cattle breeders. The
| AGRICULTURAL industries are likely to re-
| main in undisputed possession OF the
| Dutch burghers. who dislike the occupa-
lions of town life and prefer to remain
in the country The Dutch farmers
have married in their youth and have
! had large families. The Dutch pOpula-
ton has increased more rapidly than
the British population during the last 5u
years Probably there will ebe no change
in the relative rate of growth during
the next so years outside the mining
districts, and South Africa will remain
essentially Dutch in blood.
The British government will have al
the end of the war a Dutch empire il
South Africa. and it will be under NOR
al obligations to allow these communi-
ties of an alien race to order their owl
local administration and to direct theil
political progress. The lines of racia
| cleavage will be sharply defined, anC
the Dutch will stand together and vote
Esolidly whenever they are allowed t.
exercise their political rights. 1t may
be a decade before a Dutch government
can be supplanted in Cape Colony, and
nothing short of the discovery of a fresl
series of gold powdered reefs between
the Orange and the Vaal will CONVEX