254 SOUTH AFRICA AND THE UNDERGRADUATE. 



change? That simplicity is fast disappearing? That standards 

 of living are being set up wholly untenable — a luxury character- 

 istic of an Empire in the last drear stage of decrepitude, but 

 fatal to a young people.? Let us not forget that when luxury 

 comes in, all principle, all virtus goes out. Let uis not forget 

 that the torch of civilisation has been repeatedly carried into 

 Africa; but time and again has that torch flickered out in the 

 atmosphere of luxury. The Phoenician, the Carthaginian, the 

 Greek, the Roman are now the dust of the Sahara. Let us take 

 heed lest we repeat the tale. Such is one problem of the South 

 Africa of to-day. 



There is yet another problem of absorbing and immanent 

 interest — one familiar to us all, but, as a rule, studiously avoided. 

 We speak of our Native Question. Statistics, the returns of the 

 191 1 Census, will bring home to us a phenomenon which will give 

 our young Undergraduate sound reason to pause and consider. 

 The actual figures of the population of South Africa are as 

 follow: — European, 1,276,242; Non-European, 4,697,152. 



Rate of Increase. — European, 14.289;- ; Non-European, 

 15.12% 



Numerical Increase. — European, 159,436; Non-European, 

 638,134. 



These returns show that the proportion of Non-Europeans 

 to Europeans is as 19 : 5, and that the Non-European numerical 

 increase is as 4 : 1. 



Pursuing the train of thought aroused by these figures, we 

 at once ask : " What are the forces in favour of a necessary 

 increase of the White population?'" The answer is simple: 

 " Practically nil. 1. To-day the inlets into South Africa are 

 practically closed to the sweeping tides of European Emigration. 

 2. The social and economic conditions of our European popula- 

 tion are unnaturally hostile to the production of large families." 

 Again we ask : " What are the forces in favour of a continued 

 increase of the Non-European Races?" Summarised they read 

 as follows : — 



1. Natural fulfilment of natural functions. 2. Applied 

 Modern Science — Medical and Sanitary. 3. British Citizenship. 

 4. No inter-tribal slaughters — no Dingaan, no Tchaka. 



What are the forces against a large Native increase? 



t. Dop. 2. European vices. 3. European diseases. All of 

 which, education, educated Native doctors and chiefs will hold in 

 check. 



Net Result. — An overwhelming Native majority within the 

 next four generations. It is clear that the Native remains ; the 

 question is : " Do we go out? " 



Such. then, is the South Africa our young Undergraduate 

 has to face — a South Africa whose social activities are manifest- 

 ing a strong tendency towards wrong ideals, and whose Native 

 races are growing conscious of their latent power. 



