The Alaska daily empire., 1915-08-19

q FIRST iN WAR AND PEACE e
 6 q 44@ @eeee@4 6 Q
 General Louis Botha, who in the double role of statesman and soldier, has been the pivot of tho whole South African campaign, is in his 1iiy- third year A prosperous, powerful farmer of old Boer stock though of British birth, he became known all throughout the world by his skllful generalship during the Transvaal war and the heavy defeats he inflicted on the British arms at Colenso, Spion Kop, and the Tugela.
 Had he from the first been in com mand of the Boer forces or had Jou- bert listened to his advice England might have had to reconQuer the whole of South Africa from the sea coast. Even as 1t was, he kept the burghers together as a fighting force for near ly two years after the occupation of Pretoria, and he took the leading and decisive part in settling the terms of peace.
 Botha accepted the result of the war with complete sincereity. When selfgovernment was restored to the TransvaaI he became its first Prime Minister. As such he did everything he could to discourage racialism and induce Boers and British to pull to. gether The same policy had guided him since in 1910 he became first Premier of United South Africah A broad, tolerant and chivalrous man, he has developed a capacity for states manship hardly, if at all inferior to his genius for war.
 In recognition of his many services he was made a Privy Counsellor in 1907 and a General in the British ar- my in 1912. Easily the leading South African of the day, he stood like 9 rock for the Empire and loyalty when the European war broke out in Aug ust of last year. No one but he could have stamped out De Vets rebellion or organized and directed the cam paign against German Southwest Af- rica which has now been crowned with complete success.
 Second only to General Botha. the honors of all that has happenel in South Africa in the past n months rest with General Jan Christian Shuts. Already known as Q soldier, scholar-he distinguished himself at Cambrldge-he has now definitely established himself as one of the great statesmen of the empire.
 In Q speech at Capetown couple of weeks ago, making acknowledge ment of the magnificent welcome ex- tended to him there, General Botha stated frankly that the success of the German Southwest African expe- ditlon would have been impossible but for the help of the British navy. Another feature of his address was the question. What would have be- come of South Africa if it had been four separate colonies as before the Union?"
 Though bitterly cold rainstorms swept the city of Capetown the en- thuslasm of the enormous crowds was undampened. They waited hours in the rain to bid their hero welcome. At the City Hall. where the proceed ings eliminated in the presentation of sword of honor, General Botha, who was accompanied by General Smut, had marvellous ovations con- stanty repeated, interspersed with verses Of the national anthem, and concluding with Kipling's Recession. lal."
 General Botha, looking extraor- dinarily well and evidently deeply moved, replied to the congratulatory speeches with soldiery modesty. "Af ter the long war;" he said, "12 years ago, decided never to go to war again, but my sense of duty compell' ed me to go when a small minority of the older population took very ! WlOuh aANNs lVNJ AAg NNONA~ AA 'A' the bottom of my breast. To preserve their honor and maintain their fair name took the step l did, and my action proved the right thing in the eyes of God"
 In his tribute to the magnificent endurance of his troops General Botha said they often treked 90 miles up through the desert, not even knowing whether water would be found at the end of the trek. As a result of his protest. the Germans abandoned the poisoning wells. South Africa ought ever to be grateful for the help and protection given by the British navy
 General Smut declared that Gener- al Botha snatched victory out of the very jaws of disaster.
 -c-c-e-