The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-29
General Louis Botha.

The world to-day remembers Gen.
eral LOUIS BoTHA, whose death was
announced yesterday at Pretoria. by
his brilliant conquest of German South
west Africa but, remarkable as this
feat was, It Is only one Of the ac-
complishments upon which his fame
will rest. He had already gained
renown as a military commander in
the Boer war. he had won distinction
as a master hand In controlling anil
paclfying the disturbing South Afri-
can factions, and as Premier of the
Union Of South Africa he had achieved
high honor for his work as an able
and constructive statesman.
b, General BorHA was n former foe
whom England delighted to honor.
He was singled out at the famous
colonial conference Mt London in 1907
for his services to the empire. Upon
him were bestowed honorary degrees
by the universities Of Oxford, Cam
bridge and Glasgow, and in 1912 he
was made an honorary General in the
British army. Yet not more than ten
years before he had succeeded Gen
eral JouBERr as Commander in Chief
of the Boer army he had besieged
the British forces Mt Ladysmlth, he
had defeated a British army at Co
lenso. and he had continued to fight
with logged determination after Eng
land thought the Beers power was
broken by the capture Of their capl-
tai, Pretoria. He fought as valiantly
for his cause ut the peace table as
he had In the mountains and on the
veldt Of the Transvaal. But when
peace was signed and the lands of the
Beers became part Of the Union of
South Africa no man became more
intent than be upon the establishment
Of a real unity Of the South African
people, and no one was more sincere
in his defence of the empire.
Nothing. perhaps, proved this better
than his course at the beginning of
the war. In the rebellion which
broke out and which enlisted in it's
cause such former Boer leaders. MS
General CHRISTIAN DE WET, General
BEYERs and Lieutenant Colonel Ma
RITZ, BoTHA as Premier OF the Union
found himself aligned against men
who had once been his comrades In
arms. BoTHA knew that the success
of this uprising might mean detach-
ments of South African troops for the
German army, the capture of the Brit
ish African possessions and the CON
troll of the continent south of the Sa-
hara by Germany. He could have OBJ
talned any emolument or position that
he asked for the betrayal of the Gov
eminent But Britain knew BoTHA;
his loyalty was never for an instant
in question. 1t took him only two
months to end the revolt and to round
up the leaders and their deluded fol-
lowers. He could have accomplished
his task in less time II he had not
spent days In trying to bring about
a peaceful surrender.
Then he turned his attention to
German Southwest Africa. 1t was
one of the marked features of this
campaign that BoTHA was never vim
dictive and that he always sought
to concillate. When the reports that
the Germans had poisoned the wells
in the desert and were treating with
cruelty the African troops that fell
into their hands reached Cape Town
and johannesburg, mobs wreaked
their vengeance on German residents.
BoTHA wired home stern .rebuke;
he showed special consideration to
German women and children and
German soldiers who came into his
power. There was never absent from
his mind his one great ideal, a united