Knaplund—A Study in British Colonial Policy 
11 
proved enormously important for the commercial and shipping 
interests of the coast towns^ and stimulated the construction of 
railroads which converged on the Eand, Needs arose for adjusting 
railway rates and customs duties; and the Cape Colony, Natal, 
and the Orange Free State formed a customs union.^^ The Trans¬ 
vaal kept aloof, rather sullenly. With the construction of a rail¬ 
way to Delagoa Bay, in the Portugese territory, this republic 
became practically independent of the Cape and the Natal ports 
and showed little inclination to make sacrifices for the benefit 
of its neighbors. These, on the other hand, faced serious losses 
both among private concerns and especially for the state owned 
railways which had been built primarily for the purpose of secur¬ 
ing the Rand traffic. A conflict of economic interest ensued which 
had a disturbing influence in South Africa and affected adversely 
the attitude of British imperialists to the Transvaal. 
In the period between the collapse of Carnarvon’s effort and 
the outbreak of the Boer war, several organizations kept the feder¬ 
ation issue before the people of South Africa. Prominent among 
these was the Afrikander Bond which aimed at ^^the formation of 
a South African nationality.”^® Founded by Boers, the Bond at 
first gave a narrow interpretation of the term ^^nationality” and 
often opposed Boer as Boer to Englishman as Englishman. Later 
its vision broadened, and in 1896 it was described as ^‘an organiza¬ 
tion which draws together and unites for common purposes a 
number of the early colonists and others holding certain views on 
social and political matters.”^® Other bodies, such as the South 
African Political Organization and the South African League, 
openly advocated union of all the whites.®® 
Cana South, Africa, pp. 138, 139. The Times expressed the hope, Nov. 9, 1891, that 
practical necessity for concerted action would overcome the existing prejudices and 
bring about union. British officials also voiced the need of a common policy in despatches 
to the colonial office. P.P., 1890, XLVIII, cd. 5897, pp. 4, 5. 
Sir Lewis Mitchell, The Life and Times of the Bight Honourable GeeU John 
Rhodes (2 vols., London, 1910), I, pp. 293, 294. See also Basil. Williams, Oecil Rhodes 
(London, 1921), pp. 60, 61. 
Olive Schreiner and C. S. Cronwright Schreiner, The Political Situation (London 
1896), p, 24; Williams, GecU Rhodes, p. 67. 
The Times, Sept, 7, 1896. Nor had the imperial government given up all hopes 
for such a union. The colonial secretary, the Marquess of Ripon, said, Sept. 6, 1894: 
“What I look to is a sort of Federal Union of South Africa—British Territory, South 
African Republic, and Orange Free States—'in which we, of course, should have the 
hegemony, hut no more .... and I should care little whether the Transvaal be¬ 
came a British Colony or remained the South African Republic within such a Federor 
tionP Lucian Wolf, Life of the First Marquess of Bipon (2 vols., London. 1921), II, 
p. 222. On this point the views of Lord Ripon seem to have almost coincided with 
those of Cecil Rhodes; see Williams, OeeU Rhodes, p. 68. 
