LETTERS TO T FIE EDITOR.

THE CAPE COLONY LOYALISTS.

[TO THE EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOR.1

Sin,—The condition of the British population of the Cape Colony at the present time is not an enviable one. By a for- tuitous series of accidents, largely aided by Transvaal secret service money, our last General Election of 1898 put a Bond Ministry in power by a few votes in the Lower House. The votes recorded at that Election on the English (or Progrea. sive) side totalled more than the whole number of votes re- corded for the Afrikander Bond party, but through a skil- fully manipulated Redistribution Bill the majority of our electors had to witness the triumph of the minority, and by this means Mr. Schreiner and his Cabinet attained office as the avowed supporters of the Transvaal policy which has since plunged South Africa into war. The British population of the Cape Colony had to console itself with the fact that there was a Progressive majority in the Upper House which would hold Mr. Schreiner's Cabinet in check. The close of the last Session of the Cape Parliament, which was signalised by Mr. Schreiner's declaration of neutrality for the Cape Colony, filled the British population with boundless indigna- tion and disgust. We were told that we must not hold public meetings to protest against this infamous attitude on the part of her Majesty's Ministers at the Cape of Good Hope. We were told that we should aid the Imperial Government best by a dignified reticence and self-restraint.

And now, what is the consequence The whole Cape Colony is viewed by the public opinion of the Empire as tarred with

the same brash. The loyal British population of the towns, and the thousands of loyal English farmers in the Eastern province of the Cape Colony, are viewed as being passively acquiescent in the disloyal attitude of the

Schreiner Cabinet. How can we remove the stigma ? Let one fact speak for us. We, the Cape Colony English,

have sent far more men into the field to fight for our Queen

and country than Natal has done. We ought to have done BO, and we take no credit to ourselves for doing so, because

the English population of the Cape Colony is larger than the English population of Natal. We do not grudge Natal the meed of praise and honour which is her just due. But it is most unjust and unfair for the British public to ignore and forget the services of the Cape Colony Englishmen who are at the front, simply because Mr. Schreiner happens to be Premier by the accident of half a dozen votes. The Regular troops and old-established Volunteer regiments of the Cape Colony, with their honourable record of past services, are now all on active service:— Cape Mounted Rifles (with Field Artillery)

1,000 strong.

Cape Mounted Police ... 900 „ Cape Volunteer Field Artillery ... 200 „ Diamond Fields Artillery ... 150 Diamond Fields Horse 400 „ Kimberley Infantry Brigade... ... 600 „ Duke of Edinburgh's Rifles (Cape Town) ... 800 „ Cape Town Highlanders ... 800 „ Cape Garrison Artillery 200 „ Prince Alfred's Guard (Port Elizabeth) ... 500 1st City Grahamstown (with Mounted

Infantry) ... 700 Kaffrarian Rifles (East London) ...

500

„ IIitenhage Rifles

300

„ Frontier Mounted Rifles ...

300

„ Volunteer Medical Staff Corps (two Corn-

120 ,,

Total ... 7,370 f1

These are the standing forces of the C,...pc Colony now

attached to the Imperial forces. The Diamond Fields Volunteer Artillery are with Baden-Powell in Mafeking and have done excellent service; the Cape Artillery are with Lord Methuen and General French; the Cape Mounted Rifles and Cape Police have done brilliant service ; the Kimberley Volunteer Brigade form the major part of the garrison. But this is not all. A great part of the Protectorate Regiment that has done such good service with Colonel Plumer, and is the major part of the Mafeking garrison, was recruited from the British towns of the Cape Colony. The two regiments of the South African Light Horse, and of Brabant's Horse were raised in the Cape Colony. These recently raised forces, including Remington's Scouts and a contingent of the Imperial Light Horse, amount at least to 3,500 men. If we add these figures to the total of the standing Colonial forces, we have a gross total of 10,870 men on active service contributed by the B.: ish population of the Cape Colony. Will the British, public ever grasp the significance of these figures? We do not boast of them. We Cape Colonists are only doing our duty to our Queen and country. But we do most earnestly desire that these figures should be remembered as a set-off against the stigma laid upon this unhappy Colony by the rebel Dutch population in the districts annexed by the Boers, and by the actions of the Schreiner Ministry.—I am, Sir, &c., CAPE COLONIST.

[Our correspondent is, happily, quite mistaken. No reasonable person here ever doubted for a moment the loyalty and patriotism of the English Cape Colonists. Nor have we failed to applaud and respect the splendid sacrifices they have made.—ED. Spectator.]