THE SOUTH AFRICAN PROTECTORATES
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.]
Sra,—You recently published an article on the South African Protectorates, from which I assume that the question of our future may be of some interest to the general public.
At the time of writing we have just received a 'report of a speech in London by General Smuts, in the course of which he waved the big stick and indulged in open threats of calamities which will befall us unless we are incorporated without delay. The Unidn markets, he says, will be closed to our products. As a matter of fact this will only be another turn of the thumbscrew. For some years the Protectorate..' have not enjoyed free access to the Union markets. Our cattle and produce are subject to special restrictions and charges, and the South African Railways levy differential rates against our goods.
The other side of the picture is that, owing to the fact that we are within the South African Customs Union, we are compelled to purchase South African products which are sheltered. behind high tariff walls. - For a -period of years the Customs• policy of the Union has been to place the highest charges on the cheapest goods. This naturally penalize; the unfortunate Native more than anyone. For instance, the duty on light cotton blankets and cheap clothing such as are bought only by: Natives is so high as to make importation impossible. The result is that the Native is paying a heavy indirect tax on his purchases in order to provide employment for white people in Union factories.
Some of us wonder why we are called. Protectorates when the British Government makes no attempt to afford us pro- tection against unfair treatment at the hands of our powerful neighbour. Without the British market for her gold, wool, fruit, wine and maize, the Union would be in a very poor way indeed:. It seems obvious, therefore, that . Britain has a powerful lever with which to secure for her protectorates a square .deal. Now that General _Smuts has followed the example of General Hertzog in using open threats, it is high. time ,for the British Government to call his bluff and show him, AO..use an Americanism, where he gets off.—Yours
Previous page
