The New York herald., 1921-07-17
N intensely dramatic episode of his
tory Is Britain's summons to- Cen

N intensely dramatic episode of his
~ tory is Britain's summons to- Gen.
eral Jan Christian Smuts in her
hour Of need In the sheer desperation OF
her plight with Ireland she called to Fer
aid with singular confidence the very man
who levelled a bayonet at her breast only
twenty years ago.
Where Englishmen of parts have 1gno-
miniously failed an outlander, one time
enemy, man of another race, is relied
upon to succeed For this there is scarcely
parallel in the chronicles Of nations. No
wonder that the eyes of the whole world,
antagonists or protagonists of the demand
for Irish independence, are turned toward
the stalwart figure Of "Slim Jamie" as
his fellow Beers call him in South Africa.
For the present Smuts holds the centre of
the stage of events. This is due not only
to the growing recognition that friendly
understanding between England and re-
united Irish people means infinitely much
to the veal of all the nations, but to the
extraordinary personality and gifts of the
man himself.
Man of Brilliant Attributes
Who Faces the Truth SquareIy
Jan Christian SHUTS is living DEM
onstration of the progressive and diplo-
matte value Of plain horse sense. He has
brilliant attributes, has SHUTS. Often he
has been called. the Alexander Hamilton
of South Africa, even as the late Louis
Botha was termed it's George Washington.
He Is reckoned a brilliant thinker, sound
reasoner from hard facts and great ora
tor: but throughout his career the salient
characteristic of the man is an ability to
look the truth squarely IN the face-not to
finch from unpleasant realities; not to
delude himself with the mirages of politics.
SHUTS sees straight. He believes, his
whole interesting life shows, tha the
world gets ahead by getting things done
q bit at time, maybe. His intensely
combative political career in the Union OF
South Africa in the past dozen years de-
monstrates his belief in the necessity of
compromises when wel,-meaning but obsti-
nate groups of extremely human persons
come into collision.
Downright and Straightforward, abrupt
and brusque, as he can be at times, slim
Jamie" can be at need very willy and even
tortuous In his methods He is a great
pacificator, this Premier of one of the
greatest units of the British Empire. this
leader of the fiercely patriotic and stub
born people that held half million British
troops at bay for years.
Irish Problem Somewhat Like
One Smuts Solved I'm Africa
1t is not only Smuts's characteristics OF
experience and brlliancy and adaptabilitJ
that are relied upon to solve the most dis
tressing problem England has struggled
with for centuries. 1t is his proved sue
cess in dealing with somewhat similar
situation in his own land. In the States
of the present Union of South Africa there
is Nationalist party, made up of grim
and irreconcilable enemies Of British rule,
and who long with Dutch tenacity to re-
create the republics they were forced to
abandon two decades ago.
While these Beers of the old school, who
carried long rifles many of them in the
,mmand of Botha and De Wet and SHUTS
himself in the stirring days Of the Boer
War, do not Dlay the game as it is played
by t. Irish, explosively and uproariously;
nevertheless they have been a tremendous
problem in the empire and probably only
the genius of smuts ha kept them in
leash.
Looking about 70 a preserver' in this
hour OF storm and strife. the English Gov
ernm mt doubtless recalled Smutss extraor-
dinary success in holding together the
racially antagonistic elements that make
ND South Africa
Men like Botha and SHUTS and their fol-
lowers adapted themselves to assimilation,
but there remained the bitter end element
that rebelled in arms against British au-
thority as late as 1914. This element
plans to gain Trough peaceful ends what
1t sought to do by arms when Britain was
thrown into the Great War. The unre-
constructed Beers refused to fight in 1914
for the Power that humbed them in 1902.
Struggle in Wilderness Proves
Their Love of Independence
They are a proud and liberty loving
people. as the naughty Spaniard found
some 400 years ago, and this transmitted
love Of liberty still burns in their hearts.
In the early African days they preferred