The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-05-06

news. For these Basutos are not like
ordinary Africans; on the contrary they
are the most intelligent the most pew
erful tribe and the best equipped tribe
in the entire country. e
The have modern arms and am
munitton, including smokeless powder,
can put an army of several thousand
men into the field at short notice, and
when IN the field they will fight with a
skill and courage that have more than
once won for them the admiration of
Europeans. 1t was a knowledge Of these
facts that caused a general surprise in
England when over the cable flashed the
rumor that the Basutos intended to at
tack the Orange Free State, and this
surprise had hardly abated when 1t was
again aroused by the more positive infor-
nation that the tokens of unrest in Ba-
sutoland were becoming more marked
than ever.
Now the Basutos like the Griquas. were
never treated in neighborly fashion by
the Beers of the Orange Free State.
and Mr.. Thompson, a member of the Cape
Assembly and well acquainted with the
nssave question, think that for this
reason the large majority of the Basutos
would range themselves on the British
side if they should decide to joine either
Of the participants in the present con-
flict. Throughout Great Britain however,
he points out there is a very strong feel
in gthat to invoke such aid would be a
grave crime against the whites OF South
Africa Many others have expressed a
similar opinion within the last six
months, and persons who claim to speak
with authority maintain that the Beers
are just as loath as the British to accept
any aid from the blacks.
Both Beers and British are Just at pres
ent most anxious to keep the Basutos
and other native tribes quiet and for the
reason that owing to the overwhelming
preponderance Of the black population in
Africa a perfect pandemonium would be
likely to reign in case of native upris-
ings. Up to the present there has been
little fear Of any serious revolt on the
part of the natives, the prevailing opin-
ion being that the Kaffirs generally, and
especially the individual races of Basutos,
Zulus, Griquas and Matabeles, have felt
the power of the Great White Queen
too keenly and too recently to allow them
to combine successfully.
That some of the native tribes, and
especially the Basutos, will become rest
less and might even become FESTIVE at
sight of the deadly struggle in the Trans
Vaal was foreseen even before the war
began, but Englishmen consoled them
selves with the thought that if any of
the blacks did decide to obtain revenge
for old wounds they would be far more
likely to vent their hostility on the Beers
than on the British. They pointed out
that the blacks have some respect for the
British, and have, as a rule, accepted
without any apparent reluctance the adj
imposed upon them by the
British government. Bechuanaland, they
say, is good instance of this, for King
Khama has proved himself stanch ally
of the British On the other hand, they
point out that the natives have found
the Boer farmers hard taskmaster, that
a severe campaign has been carried on
during recent years against the native
chiefs in the northern part Of the Trans
vaal, and that the Swazis on the south
east have never been wholly at rest
since their land was annexed to the
South African Republic in 1895.
over and over again the statement has
been made that the natives are not to be
allowed to take any part in the Trans
vaal war, not only because it is peculi-
arly a white mans war, but also be-
cause the dictates of civilization demand
that whites when fighting against men
Of their own color, shall not invoke or
accept the aid of savages. A laudable
sentiment, but the question stin, remains:
What win the white men do if their
1usky neighbors in Basutoland shall
take up arms?" This question is puz-
cling many thoughtful minds in England
and the TransvaaI today, since they
know well that on the manner in which
1t is answered may depend in large
the future civilization of South