from there, I cannot agree with all the views expressed
by Mr. W. B. Collins in his letter to you in your issue of May 19th.
The African native derives more benefit from military training and its discipline, learning as he does obedience, cleanliness and self-respect, than from much of the so-called education which he receives in other ways. A native• who has served a few years as a soldier or as a policeman is in most cases a better man for it. The danger which Mr. Collins fore- sees does not exist, in my opinion, in the absence of certain factors. One is the unlimited possession of firearms ; the other is the ability to co-operate. It will be many generations before the natives learn to co-operate even in a small way. The possession of firearms in British Colonies, and to a certain extent in some of the others, has always been restricted by the Berlin Treaty, and I understand that a new international agreement will shortly come into effect.
The suggestion that natives should be recruited for twenty years instead of three is not feasible. No native would engage for twenty years, or even ten. But many re-engage after three years, and I have known several natives who have re-engaged over and -over again and served for over twenty years. What are much greater dangers are :—(1) Contact of the natives with the Low White ; (2) education on the wrong lines ; (8) Bolshevist and extreme Socialist propa- ganda on the mines and other labour centres in South Africa.
The most important thing is education. Natives will have education whether we like it or not. It remains for the powers that be to insist that education develops on the right lines. At present the Governments of the various British territories are extraordinarily apathetic. Most of the education is ih the hands of missionaries, who undoubtedly do a great deal of good but who may do a great deal of harm through wrong methods and mistaken ideas. These missions should be subsidized by the Government, who would then have the right to insist on things being done on certain lines.—I am, Sir, &e.,
J. C. C. COXHEAD.
Royal Societies' Club, St. James's Street, S.W.
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