28 FEBRUARY 1931, Page 31

The attainment of her national majority by South Africa Is

a fitting time for retrospection and prevision. Coming of Age (Maskew Miller, 10s. 6d. London : Simpkin Marshall, Ltd.) is a volume of studies in South African citizenship and politics, and the names of the eight co-authors are a guarantee of impartiality and judgment informed by exhaus. tive knowledge. This is a book which cannot be overlooked by _anyone interested in the problem of South Africa, and though not all the conclusions will meet with susiversai acceptance, they all deserve respectful attention. The Political, Economic and Administrative aspects of South African life are dealt with in a series of short articles by acknowledged experts, and Professor Hofmeyr contributes an introduction in which he makes wise if guarded, reference to the "native menace," and points Out- that the time has now come to emphasize, not so much the rights, as the contributions, of the different sections of the body politic. While it is undoubtedly correct psychology to eliminate, if possible, the fear of a native menace, we doubt whether this can be done merely by disregarding it. It is perhaps a legitimate criticism, therefore, that the greater part of the book is concerned with English and Dutch relations, and not sufficient attention is paid to the native factor. This is but partially remedied by a brilliant chapter on "The Poor White and the Native,' which demonstrates, none to soon, that this is one problem and not, as it is so often conceived, two problems. Attention should also be drawn to a chapter entitled "South Africa and the North," which many will consider tendentious, but which formulates the eminently reasonable view that the question of native policy cannot be considered sectionally, but should be the concern of Africa as a whole.

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