Evening star., 1932-05-22

tContlnued FROM FIRST PaeeD
vailed in recent years in the neighbor-
ing colony of Kenya It was inferior to
the West African colonial system, al
ready referred to, which 1 shall describe
later because of its Importance in this
examination Of the problem of the
Negro and white man in Africa.
League Can Intervene.
The mandataries govern these terri
tories in much the same way as they
administer their own colonies, the two
important differences being that they
are not allowed to discriminate, within
these territories, against foreign mer-
chants, and the League of Nations has
the right to intervene in case Of mis-
government and to receive an annual
report.
West African native farmers are ad-
vancing, socially and materially. For
eign trade is increasing. There is, for
example, a brisk commerce in bicycles,
gramophones, sewing machines and the
like. Natives are being gradually
trained for the responsibilities Of gov
ernment.
This unselfsh system has been sue
cessfully applied in Uganda and in the
inundated area of Tanganyika. The re-
suit is happy, in contrast with what is
taking place in the neighboring Kenya
colony and in South Africa.
Originally administered by the British
foreign Office, and only recently brought
under the control of the colonial Office,
Kenya colony was regarded as a suit
able area for white settlement. The
best land in the highlands was alienated
from its native owners and made over
to British colonists, most of whom are
members of the British governing class.
A British peer was one of the early pio-
neers; he restored his family fortunes
by making money out of land owner
ship and speculation.
Natives Refused Vote.
Retired naval and military officers,
younger sons of English squires and
Scottish lairds, and disposseSSed Irish
landlords have taken up land on the
plantation system and established them
selves in a dominating position politi-
cally. The beginnings of constitutional
government have been established, only
the white settlers being enfranchised
and allowed to hold any power The
African native inhabitants, and even
the Hindu immigrants and merchants
are allowed no voice in policy.
A succession of weak governors has
.
would-be aristocrats. Their friends and
relations in London have been able to
bring pressure to bear, through Parlia-
ment and society," upon the colonial Of
f1ce to prevent the avowed policy of
truSteeship toward the natives from
being carried out.
The white settlers desire, above all,
cheap native labor for their farms. To
this end, the native inhabitants have
been deprived of their lands, they have
been taxed to such an extent that even
where they cultivate holdings it is nee
essary for them to earn wages on the
white mans plantations to pay the
governmental dues. Worst of all.
thinly disguised system of forced labor
akin to slavery has been put into opera
ton.
The white settlers have again and
again defled the home government and
actually threatened to rise in armed re-
volt when reforms were proposed.
Conscription introduced.
One of the most astonishing manifes-
tations of this spirit has been the in
PRODUCTION of conscription for the Eu-
ropean settlers. Yet this military serv-
ice is unaccompanied by the usual oath
OF allegiance. No explanation of this
OsAAAoS4OAl bCCLl from
official sources In London. the fact of
the matter being that the colonial office
has been frightened into acquiescence
by threats, both in England and in East
Africa. The real reason is that in GER
tain circumstances the settlers would
rebel
The native farmers have been for
bldden to grow coffee On the plea that
they could not be trusted to combat
pests and disease-but in reality in
order to remove competition. Yet
kenya Colony has been a failure eco
nomlcally. It's four main crops-sisal.
coffee, wheat and maize-have suffered
from the fall in world prices, only the
coffee crop being marketable.
Aready In Kenya there is the phe-
nomenon OF the poor white-unem-
ployed and unemployable Englishmen.
many Of them men of good family and
superior education, deteriorating in the
towns. There is little hope of any i'm
proVement under the present system
Inc seed OF native unrest is being
sown. e
But If racial conflict between the
european and Negro races is threat !
ened IN Kenya, it has developed into |
the greatest and most menacing of
problems in the Union of South Africa. !
For here We have three distinct social
and economic systems in conflict with
one another.
Natives Forced to Work.
The Negroes, deprived of their lands
and now refused any security of ten
ure, even in the native reserves, are
forced to work on the settlers farms.
and in the mines and the factories
They are suffering from extreme pow
erty Secondly, the Dutch settlers of
pioneering days are still living in the
seventeenth century. Holding large
tracts of land, yet cultivating and graz
ing them under a primitive system. the