[The Authoritative Life of General William Booth by George Scott Railton]@TWC D-Link bookThe Authoritative Life of General William Booth CHAPTER XVI 22/26
We protest most earnestly against that at once.
It does not matter whether he has fixed his eye upon Rhodesia or the Kalahari desert--these lands belong geographically to South Africa, and we need it for its own peoples.
True, we have plenty of territory, even for others who may wish to come and settle amongst us, and wish to be of us. "But we have no room for the 'submerged tenth' of any other nation whatever." In vain did The General keep explaining in every land he visited that he had never thought of, or made any plan for, "dumping" crowds of wastrels on any country, but only such people as had been tested and proved fit for such an opportunity as they could not get in overcrowded countries. There was always the same loud and continued applause for "his noble work," and, then, almost everywhere--not often with the honest outspokenness of that newspaper--the same "I pray thee have _me_ (my country) excused from receiving this Colony." And then the old man would give the tiny handfuls who, thanks to insane constitutionalism, have been left to monopolise vast areas of the earth, warnings of the future that may be remembered by generations to come.
Whilst in South Africa he was gladdened by receiving the following report as to the multitudes he was sending out to Canada:-- "Emigrated from October, 1903, to July 31, 1908, 36,308; of whom were assisted by loan, 9,400; total amounts advanced, L38,375; total amounts repaid (within first five years _already_!), L5,112." But as to South Africa, he grasped the main feature of the situation there; and thus wrote, in words that may be remembered, _not only in that country,_ when, for the British Empire, it is for ever too late:-- "The more I see of this country, the more I am convinced of the folly of the controversy that prevails in some minds, and of the fears that are entertained about the predominance of the Dutch element.
Before many years have passed the question will not be as to what nation of whites shall have the mastery, but whether the whites will have any mastery at all; not whether it shall be Dutch land or British land, but whether it shall be a white man's land. The undisputed growth in intelligence of the African and Indian combined will soon give them so great a preponderance that they will capture the agriculture and trade generally. "What is to hinder them from the capture of the mineral production, and the mastery of the country in general? There is only one way for the white man, and that is to add to his numbers such as will join him in the struggle, and to convert the coloured element to righteousness and truth and honesty and industry. "I want to help them, but they cannot see far enough. "These are the sentiments that ought to be pressed upon the attention of our government." Here is another letter which is valuable especially for the light it gives with regard to The General's careful examination during his journeys into all that concerned the efficiency of The Army and of every leading Officer in it:-- "I have not said much about the character and condition of the work generally, having reserved my ideas for the closing of my correspondence. "In a general way, however, I will make a few observations:-- "1.
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