The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-10-09
UNITED STATES IN AFRICA.
As Result of the BOer War, There
Will Probably he Such
Union Soon.

There are two republics less in the
world than there were in 1899. This is
one of the results of the war which has
just been brought to a close. An elab-
crate scheme of federation, in which
the people of the subverted govern
ments will have local self-rule at an
early day and be in league with the
rest of the British possessions in their
quarter of the world, is to be estab
lished. This is another outcome of
the same conflict, and one which was
not expected by many persons at the
outset. Some of the Boer fighting
chiefs VINO have laid down their arms
have been to London on a mission con-
nected with the settlement of the
terms of surrender. They were enter
tanned by representatives of the Brit
ish government, and there can be no
doubt that the visit will be pleasant
episode in their lives. AS one of the
results of the present rapproachment
between British and Beers the Afrikan-
der-Bond, which is a sort of a league
between all the Dutch residents of AZ
RIGA, is to be dissolved, says the St.
Louis Globe-Democrat.
The agencies which are certain to
make the rehabilitation of the two
eX-republics speedy and pleasant are
actively in operation. A large portion
of the population of both of them will
be British, Americans, Germans and
other non-Boers. Necessarily these
persons will get the same sort of treat
ment as the Beers, and they are vitality
interested in having the disabilities of
the latter removed at the earliest pos
sible day. The crown colony status
would be even more Objectionable to
the Americans and Englishmen resid-
ing in the two Dutch states than they
would be to the natives themselves,
and they have strong incentive for
making the transition to full self-gov-
eminent as short as possible. Already
some of these persons are presenting
this side of the question in the lead
ing London newspapers. This is
side which will appeal with force to
the British ministry. The ministry has
special reason to want to win the
favor of the Beers, and the way to do
this, as it well knows. is to make their
political conditions as agreeable to
them as possible, and to do this at the
earliest practicable moment
Thus all the conditions point to the
creation of a sort of United States
of Africa among the different British
colonies which are contiguous. Eng
lands possessions in the whole CONT
nent of Africa, counting Egypt. which
nominally belongs to Turkey. but
which has been administered for many
years by England and which she will
never give up, aggregate about 3,000,-
900 miles in area, or about the same as
that of the United States. exclusive of
Alaska and the islands acquired in
1898. About half of this area is in
South Africa, most of it being contieu-
Gus. The purpose evidently is to es-
tablish union between all these con-
tiguous states on the Canadian and
Australian plan, in which each will be
practically Independent in local affairs
and have voice in matters pertaining
to the whole federation. This will be
sort of United States of South At
RIGA, closely following the American
model, which has a great vogue among
British and British colonial statesmen
at the present time. american ideas
are making their triumphant way
around the world There will be re-
grets for the overthrow of the two lit
tie republics, but their people are ac-
cepting the situation with courage and
intelligence, and the new regime which
will soon set in will eventually give
them almost as much liberty as they
had under the former condition, and
at the same time give them a contact
with the world which will materially
advance their social and industrial
status.