I 



86 PRESIDKNTIAL ADDRESS SECTIOX F. 



South Africa's problem is unique, in the first place, 

 because of the proportions between the two races. In the 

 Southern United States there are whites and blacks, but 

 though the blacks form a niajoritj^ in certain districts, the 

 situation as a whole is dominated by the presence of an over- 

 whelming white nation, amongst whom the negroes are a 

 handful of strangers. Moreover, most of the negroes are of 

 mixed blood. In South Africa the pure-bred Kaffirs form the 

 great majority of the population. 



On the other hand, such a country as Jamaica contains a 

 great majority of tlie black race, but there competition practi- 

 cally does not exist. The wliites are a small ruling class, and 

 the question who is to do manual labour, if it ever arose, has 

 long since been answered. In South Africa there is a large 

 and vigorous white population, partly immigrant, partly 

 settled for several generations, Avhich shows no sign of dying 

 out ; the relation between them and the blacks has not yet 

 reached any condition of stability. 



Examples might perhaps be found, if not now, at least 

 in times past, where a similar numerical relation has 

 occurred between two A'igorous races, but there is another 

 condition needed to make anything like a close parallel with 

 South Africa, and that is a strong resistance to amalgamation 

 between the two races. In South America, in particular, 

 there are many interesting racial combinations, but there 

 little prejudice against intermarriage seems to exist, whereas 

 both Dutch and English, who make up the bulk of the white 

 inhabitants of South Africa, are strongly opposed to mixture 

 with the coloured races. That sentiment, which is not shared 

 even hj the French in their colonies, has played, and will 

 play, an important part in the history of the country. 



It is when there is a sharp barrier between the races that 

 the special problem of the " poor whites " or " mean whites " 

 arises. In every community tliere is a constant vertical 

 diffusion between classes — children of the fortunate classes 

 fall below the circumstances of their birth, whilst exceptional 

 individuals from the mass of the people make their way 

 upwards to wealth and influence. The process is a natural 

 and healthy one, but where a colour bar exists diffusion is 

 interrupted. The children of the superior race, who liave 

 not the brains nor the luck to maintain themselves in a 

 superior position, are inhibited by the national sentiment from 

 making a living by unskilled or low-grade work, as they would 

 naturally do; they become destitute wliile clinging to the 

 remains of racial pride; they create a special and embarrassing 

 problem of poverty that does not exist in a countrv with a 

 homogeneous population, nor — at least not markedlv — in a 

 country like Brazil, where intermixture takes place freely. 



Nor does the problem of the poor whites stand alone, for 

 the same conditions prevent tlie more intelligent members of 

 the inferior rnce from rising. There are in South Africa 

 natives whose brain power would enable them to do work of 

 fair quality in administration, in tiie learned professions, and 

 in business, but they are deprived of educational lielp and 



