The South African Protectorates The governing fact regarding the three
protectorates of Bechuanaland, Basutoland and Swaziland is that the British Government, under whose tutelage they now are, is pledged to transfer them sooner or later to the Government of the South African Union ; but that it is equally pledged not to do that without consulting the wishes of the natives, which must be held to mean, on any reasonable interpretation, without securing a considerable measure of native assent. The practical objections to complete severance—two out of the three protectorates are completely surrounded by Union territory—are considerable, and the arrangement announced by the Dominions Secretary in the House of Commons on Tuesday, whereby contact between the pro- tectorates and the Union will be established through a standing advisory council consisting of the Commissioners of each of the protectorates on the one side and three officials of the Union Government on the other, is a common-sense step towards the final goal, involving no sort of abandonment of the conditions on which the attainment of the goal depend. The conference will have no executive functions but it should make for better understanding. Whether better understanding of the Union's native legislation will attract protectorate natives to the Union is an open question. If they are not attracted they will not be transferred.
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