The sun., 1916-09-17
BOtha Of South Africa.

Not many men In their ffty-fourth
year furnish material for a biography
in which 30 much political history Is
involved as the subject Of HAROLD
SPENpR's General Botha: The Career
and the Man CHoughton Mifiin). An
adequate fulhlment OF the promise OF
that title necessitates the writing Of
n pretty complete history Of South
at a time like this. when events are
toward which o~vershadow anything
since the American civil war and the
Franco Prussian war. attention Is ar
rested more by the second than by the
first member OF Mr.. Spender's sub
title. and though his account OF the
Boer war. of the making of the Union
OF South Africa and OF e of the
last two years Is crisp and current.
correct and complete. the thing that
makes tho book particularly timely"
and welcome IL the clear sketch OF a
strong mans personality.
Louis Botha was born September -.
1862. at Greytown. some nifty miles
had been In South Africa from 1885.
the year OF the Revocation Of the
Edict OF Nantes. Both his father and
his mother had some Huguenot blood.
In 1927 Philip Rudolph Botha and
Elizabeth his wife. with their eleven
children. then living in the town OF
George In the Cape Colony. took part
in one of the great Boer tricks. away
from European rule into the unoccu-
/ pied territory OF Natal. where they
| vainly sought that freedom from
State interference which was the
haunting dream of their race" They
| settled about half way between Pieter-
maritzburg and Durham. The first
Louis. father Of the General. was born
in the year preceding this migration,
| He grew up In troublous times. fol
| the Beers had the Zulus on n side
| and the British on the other. and the
~colonists had TO contend with both
| and with a land itself not easily sub
dued to the purposes Of civilization.
At the age OF 81 this Louis Botha
moved to Greytown, then tho furthest
outpost of South African civilization,
| He married Minnie Van Rooyen,
daughter OF a substantial farmer OF
good lineage, and allied In blood to the
French Huguenot family Of Leroux.'
The present Louis was born on his
fathers farm. Onrust. the eighth chile
and third son Of n family that at
tanned the respectable Dutch size oil
thirteen. The Generals father had no
only the piety and simplicity Of ths
Boer nature, at one time so unkindly
caricatured in England. but a dash o.
energy and gayety traceable to the
French factor In his descent. A sue.
cessful farmer. which predicates thu
solid qualities, he had the tempera'
ment OF the townsman and not only in
terest in public affairs but considerable
fitness for participation In them. Ant
his wife was a woman suited In every
way for her part In the upbrlnging o
n son who was to be 80 interesting al
example of the best that heredity ant
environment together can do for tn
making Of such n man as her soi
Louis proved to be.
When the first Boer war broke on,
in 1891. the Bothas were living In tn
Free State. then and long after OF
friendly terms with the British Gov
eminent and with Cape Colony. The,
had recently come from Natal. wher
two OF Louis's sisters had marriev
Englishmen.
In 1884 Louis Botha herded sheer
In winter time, across the Drakenberl
down to the coast lands for pastur,
The Zulus were out; CetewayO ha
been banished, but many bands Of tn
savage blacks were raiding. lie wa
with Lukas Meyer when his it'll
army gained command Of Zululand an
founded 1.-THE New Republic" Both
had no part in the politics Of the ney