The sun., 1909-02-04


union or at least the confederation Of
the South African States.
This news also throws light upon the
sudden adjournment Of the Durham
convention OF last November 70 reasseln-
BILE at Cape Town, for which action no
satisfactory explanation has as yet been
advanced. The proceedings OF the
Durham convention, like those at Cape
Town, were wrapped in secrecy, rs only
the members were admitted and every
effort was made to keep the delibera-
tons Of the convention from the public
until definite scheme or programme
had boen agreed upon 1t is now ohNi-
ous that the delegates discussing the
relative merits OF Pretoria and Cape
Town as the site Of the proposed capital
determined 10 familiarize themselves
by personal knowledge with the claims
Of Cape Town, and apparently with a
favorable result. a few weeks ago
there were various picnics and excur-
sions planned for the delegates with a
view 10 showing them the scenic. stra-
tegical and climatic advantages Of that
place AZ the proposed capital, and these
are many and varied. With an unrivalled
situation in respect Of beauty, health
fulness and picturesqueness, with Table
Mountain rs its impressive background,
Cape Town can be brought by fast tur-
/ hinn Ian him x.ytNl,ixn Nnt 1aty q
London, and when that is accomplished
the Cape will probably become-in fact
is already becoming-another Riviera
for British health and pleasure seekers,
having better climate and a more
brscing sea view and air than the Ri
viera Of the Mediterranean. To the
beauty Of South Africa, especially Cape
Colony, scant justice has been done,
and its possibilities in fruit farming
suggest another California.
On the other hand it is well known
that the Trsnsvaal, as the richest Of the
South African States and therefore the
one upon which the financial burden Of
the proposed union would largely fall, is
welded TO Pretoria as the ate of the
capital Of the Confederated or United
South African States. The proposed
double arrangement has probably been
the result Of the favorable impressions
Cape Town has made upon the dele
gates, and it Is also known that Cape
Colony is almost if not quite as strenu-
GUS and determined in Its choice for a
capital as the Transvaal. Such a sit
uation made a compromise the only
solution.
In regard to the general PROPOSE
tions discussed by the convention at
Durham and later at Cape Town little is
known with certainty. From appar-
emily trustworthy sources, however, it
is inferred that an excellent spirit
prevails among the delegates, and ap-
parently the convention is at last get
ting TO grips with the most important
matters before it. One Of the most
delicate Of these problems pertains to
the native franchise. So determined
are the views of some of the delegates
on the subject that it has been feared
the convention might split upon it, or
at most that only a confederation
rather than a real union Of the States
would be brought about. The Cape
delegates, II was understood, were un-
oompromisingly at Durham for the Cape
franchise making education the test,
while many of the other delegates
deemed the Cape test illusory and i'm
practicable. A property and a real
civilization test combined, irrespective
OF color, is also advocated by some.
but this combination test would dis
franchise many whites in the colonies.
Whether as a result of the deliberations
at Cape Town a satisfactory solution
Of this question has been arrived at will
probably not be known until the con-
vention adjourns and its results are
given to the world. That the Cape
Town convention will he able offhand
to solve question for which the United
States apparently has not yet found
an answer satisfactory 70 all sections
remains to be seen1 Naturally King
EDWARD as Emperor Of India could
not be expected to approve any plan
making an unfair discrimination against
his Indian subjects, while the alliance
with Japan would also further preclude
the framing OF new South African Gov
ernement hostile to Asiatics.
Nation making is always an interest
ing and difficult matter, and whether
the Durham and Cape Town conven-
ton was wise in guarding its delibera-
tons so carefully may be considered
debatable question.