The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-09
FUTURE OF THE Beers

SaIIc1 IucAI QSIolC StIuSS16 lOT udIlOuQl
liberty the Beers will have the attention
of the world turned to them while they
work out their destiny under the British
flag.
With full measure Of individual lib
erty, with no war indemnity to pay, with
their individual losses largely made up
to them by the British, with former re-
strictions on capital and citizenship re-
moved and with encouragement for indus
trial and commercial progress instead of
encouragement for Immortality the
Transvaal and Orange Free State
should develop educationally, in
dustrially and commercially much more
rapidly than it ever would under Boer
rule. So far as the material welfare of
the individual is concerned, British rule
in the Transvaal will be better for both
native and uitlander than Boer rule ever
was. r- -.
The question is whether this prosperity
will strengthen or weaken the British en-
pire In the long run. South Africa Is ag-
riculturally poor country. It will never
support a relatively large population.
The mining industry may bring in large
numbers of people, but when the mines
are exhaus ed they will depart. The ag-
ricultural and pastoral population is
chiefly Dutch. They are prolific race.
The English speaking rural population
does not hold it's own. Two-thirds of the
white people in South Africa now are
Dutch. The offspring of intermarriages
between the two races are always Afri-
kanders rather than British. Efforts to
encourage British emigration to South
Africa do not meet with success.
The proba bilities, then, are that in the
future the preponderance of the Dutch
in South Africa will be even greater
than it now is. If England can turn these
people into loyal British subjects and
Danish from their day dreams visions Of
a Dutch United States of South Africa, all
will be well. But if the Dutch utilize
the privilege granted them to maintain
Dutch in the schools and bring up their
children in sentimental attachment to the
ideas Of a Dutch state and in opposition
to the English, England may yet lose
South Africa. r.
When Canada passed to England there
we're 10000 French people in it. To-day
they number over 100000. In sympa-
thies they are still French. They care
little for the British empire. If they were
an overwhelming majority instead of a
minority England would have a hard time
holding Canada. South Africa will al
ways be overwhelmingly Dutch in blood.
If it remains attached to the idea Of
Dutch independence twill certainly make
trouble for England some day. In that
day the fight will not be between England
and two small Independent states, but be-
tween England and South Africa in revolt.
So extended an empire as the British
must depend more upon sentimental at
tachment for the retention Of self-govern-
ing colonies than upon the force or fear
of arms. If the English speaking ma
jority of Canada were not sentimentally
attached to the imperial idea, England's
hold on Canada would be weak indeed.
Self-government exists in Cape Colony
and is promised to the Beers of the
Transvaal and Orange Free State. In
time we may expect a federated South
Africa, just as we now have federated
Canada and a federated Australia. That
federation will be so strong that its con-
tinuation within the British empire will
depend ultimately upon the will Of its
own people, and those people will be
Dutch. If they are Anglicized there will
be little danger. If they are not, there
will be much. Adjudication will depend
more on the success the English may have
in introducing their language than on
anything else.