Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-04

Nuremberg. where he died. and at KIM
beriey, where his organising genius con-
soitdated and saved a great industry
which proved the colony's mainstay and
resource in time of financial depression,
find their fitting climax In the vast
RhOdesia, named after Its founder. and
In the simple tablet on his grave on tho
hilltop In the rocks and desolation OF the
Matoppos, to which in honor of a great
man every visitor to Rhodesia pays the
personal tribute Of a weary pilgrimage.
Cecil Rhodes, Imperialist.
Rhodes not only consolidated and con-
served great industry: he consolidated
and conserved British South Africa He
added area after area to the British en-
pire. and his great ambition was to feder-
ate and unity all the colonies and states
of South Africa under British domin ion,
and to cause that South Africa to extend
as far north and east and west as 1t could
be made to stretch. His imagination saw
the Cape to Cairo railroad speedy real
ity. He aspired to bind together not only
the widely scattered loosely connected
sections of the British empire. but to COM
bfne, as far as possible. in the common
interest the English-speaking, English
thinking peoples Of the world. His words
and acts while he lived and his will efter
his death show his grand breadth Of
view.
South Africa has caught the inspiration
of his spirit. AS Kipling has said OF him:
His great and breeding spirit stin shall quicken
Living he the land, and dead his soul shall
be her SOUL
In South Africa as in Australasia Eng
lish influences are to control the south
temperate zone, leaving that zone in
South America alone outside the sphere
of England's political domination. The
defeats of the British at Buenos Aires in
1906 and 1907, and later the prohibitions
of the Monroe doctrine lave shut out
zone in this continent and confined her
powerful influence there to that of
wealthy and beneficent creditor.
Rhodes spirit would not only enlarge
and unity British South Africa. but would
bring that consolidated commonwealth
with Australia. New Zealand and Can
ada into closer touch Of sympathy and IN
terest with the other portions Of the en-
pire, of which they are to become df
they are not now integral parts. The
British in South Africa respond with en-
thusiasm to this suggestion. They hold
that the British empire Is at the part
ing of the ways: that it must move dis
tinctly toward consolidation or that 1t
will move irresistibly toward disintegra-
ton: They believe that Canada. Aus
tralia, New Zealand and South Africa.
pursuing the series Of imperial confer
ences between the government Of Great
oF1IAiu dIu Tic pESiulcfS VI tue OCH
governing colonies or dominions, OF which
one was held this year In London. should
push steadily toward British imperial
unity. military, political and commercial.
They view q movement in the opposite
direction as tending toward the disinte-
grafton of the empire at crucial time and
as in essence reasonable. They rejoiced
with an intensity that surprises an
American over Canada's refusal Of reci-
procity with the United States. not be-
cause such reciprocity would not operate
to benefit Canadas material interests,
but because in their opinion Canada
should not in this crisis take q step for
it's selfish aggrandizement which would
separate it in policy from other self
governing colonies. render full imperial
consolidation increasingly difficult, and In
short tend to break up rather than to
unity the British empire.
Rhodes would not only unity South
Africa and consolidate Great Britain and
ireland with Canada. Australia, New
Zealand and South Africa. He would also
create renew and strengthen in every
conceivable way the ties which bind in
common interest the whole English
speaking empire and the American Eng
disappearing republic. And to this petit
ton to Providence and the future
thoughtful Americans will heartily say:
Amen"