THE SOUTH AFRICAN PROTECTORATES
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
SIR,—In your issue of May 4th you write editorially that before the anomaly of the three native enclaves under the jurisdiction of Whitehall can be changed " the UniOn Govern- ment will have, by the treatment of the natives within its own borders, to provide convincing demonstration that ' the Protectorate natives would run no risk whatever in becoming . Union subjects."
I agree, but I submit you have only stated half the case. At a recent meeting of the Royal Empire Society Sir Alan Pim gave an illuminating address on this subject, and in the ensuing discussion Dr. Drummond Shiels referred to these three Protectorates as " the black spot in the Enipire," after which Professor MacMillan dotted the i's and crossed the t's in the speech of the late Undei-Secretary for the Colonies.
In a letter I cannot enlarge upon this, but I eche-, a widely- felt feeling in stating that if we are to justify the continuation of these enclaves we must radically refoim our whole adinini- atration of the three native territories. The Union native policy has been bad, and may be far from good todik, ' but it has progressed infinitely further of late in the right direction than we have in these 'three -territories. The Union Govern- ment's policy is changing rapidly and steadily, while— as regards these three territories—the Imperial policy is dubbed, with much reason, a black spot.
It will be futile for our Ministers, or Members of Parliament, to wax eloquent about the Union unless and until we remove this cause for reproach.—I am, Sir, &c., FRANK MELLAND.
United University Club, Pall Mall East, S.W.1.
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