May 25, 1916 
LAND & WATER 
13 
There was the native to keep in view, and the effect upon 
him of more strife in the land. Finally, there were the 
industries and the finances of the country to consider. 
General Botha and his friends were sorely beset, and, 
though the path of loyalty was plain, the way was not 
easy. 
The suspense, however, did not last long. In three 
days General Botha announced that he and his colleagues 
" cordially agreed'" to undertake the great Imperial 
enterprise in South-West Africa, and a month later the 
Union Parhament confirmed the Government's action by 
the significant majority of gi votes to 12. The country's 
Defence Force was in being, and the campaign in a 
difficult country, where Germany had been fortifying her- 
self and making vast preparations for years, began under 
favourable auspices. 
In that minority of twelve lay the seed of mischief, 
the capacity to create in co-operation with the enemy 
in the German South-West many difficulties. Soon the 
fruit of German intrigue, the work of a hundred German 
agents, declared itself ; and the campaign in the South- 
West on which South Africa had quickly set out was inter- 
rupted by a rebellion within the Union itself, by the 
defection and treachery of Beyers and Maritz, and by 
other treacheries and troubles to right and left. 
Conquest of South- West Africa 
The difficulties of General Botha were increased an 
hundredfold ; but in the process of arms they were over- 
come ; and, having overcome them, he himself marched 
to the conquest of the South- West, swiftly adding to the 
Imperial assets a country bigger than the German Empire. 
Then followed the expedition to German East Africa, 
for which, with the same enthusiasm, in the same spirit 
of loyal Imperialism, and for the sake of the cause of 
Freedom and Civilization and the well-being of the 
Empire, South Africa has sent forward thirty thousand 
men, who are to-day fighting bravely under General 
Smuts. But not yet was the country with the two 
Generals to a man. 
As late as March 23rd in the House of Assembly, the 
German East African Campaign being now in full swing, 
Mr. Fichardt protested against " wicked expenditure on a 
wild-goose chase round Kilimanjaro " ; it was unfair to 
ask them to vote for " unknown schemes for an unknown 
purpose to an unknown amount." " Yesterday it was 
German West ; to-day it is German East. What would 
it be to-morrow ? " " Moral support was well^enough ; 
but they had to consider the cost." 
Again General Botha stood forward and carried the 
day and the country, administering a reproof in passing. 
This, he finely declared, was no business for bargaining, 
and the land would be disgraced which said to the 
Imperial Government — " We shall help you — if you pay 
us back." 
A troubled South Africa in troubled times ! But, 
it has triumphed over its enemies within and without, 
and has set up a record of achievement in the Imperial 
cause rich in great deeds, fragrant of good faith, and 
abounding in the true spirit of loyalty. 
There is gain of territory, and there will be further 
gains of territory when German East Africa falls ; but 
South Africa took up arms not for material ends. Deeply 
interested as she necessarily was, and is, in the future 
settlement and destiny of Africa as a whole, in the im- 
mediate and permanent elimination of the German 
enemy from her borders, and from all parts of Africa, 
and in the defeat of German designs upon it, her grand 
concern when she assumed arms and went forth to do 
battle has been throughout for the higher ideals — the 
ideals of liberty and the cause of civilisation ; and her 
chief anxiety this — that in the hour of trial she should not 
be wanting ; but be found faithful in all things, and 
loyal ; and that the trust reposed in her when respon- 
sible Government was given should be justified. 
It is by the spirit of her support of the Empire's cause, 
as much as by the strength of it, by her successes in the 
field and her contributions of men and material, that 
South Africa's part in the war can alone be rightly 
measured. She who, only the other day, was opposed to 
us, has fought for us from her own free choice, from 
conviction of the righteousness of our cause, because of the 
goodness of the thing we call Empire, and for the sake 
'■iy"vp 
. JL^r 
J 
L 
Ist King George's Own Gurkba Kifies 
of all the treasured things it means, which are treedom, 
security, emancipation, enlightenment and progress - 
things greater than many lands and vast possessions. 
What India Has Done 
By Sir Francis Younghusband 
EFORE the 
outbreak of war 
there had been 
much talk of 
-edition in India. There 
had also been many 
seditious acts. In 191 2 
\n attempt was made 
on the life of the Viceroy 
limself. And, if there 
'.\ere seditious words 
ind seditious acts in 
time of peace how much 
more likely, it would 
seem to an outsider, and 
especially an unfriendly 
observer, would there be 
sedition in time of war. 
Our enemies certainly 
counted on a revolt and 
assumed that India would be disloyal : there is ample 
evidence of German designs to create trouble in India 
But we British have always trusted India and India 
nobly responded to our trust. " I was sure in my heart 
of hearts," said Lord Hardinge, " that India was sound, 
and I never hesitated to proclaim that assurance and act 
upon it," When the great strain and test came India 
had the opportunity of displaying the loyalty which those 
who knew her best were convinced lay silent and latent 
within her. The Chiefs, the educated classes, and the 
great mass and bulk of the people gave instant, spontane- 
ous and convincing proofs of loyalty. And through- 
out the period of the war the relations between the Govern- 
ment and the people have never been closer or more 
confident. 
As a result, India, instead of being a risk, an anxiety 
and a source of danger to the Empire, has proved one of 
its props and pillars. Britain had no need to send troops 
to hold her. She held to the Empire. She sent out troops 
not by brigades or divisions, but literally by the hundred 
thousand. And of all the component parts of the Empire 
she was the first to come to the help of the Mother 
Country on the battlefields of France. 
As far back as the time of the Napoleonic wars India 
had sent troops to Egypt. The dramatic stroke of Lord 
Beaconsfield in bringing Indian troops to Malta in 1878 
will be remembered. Indian troops fought in Egypt in 
1882, in East Africa and in China. But the largest ex- 
pedition that ever left the shores of India before the 
present war numbered only 18,000 men. And now, 
since the outbreak of the war, India has despatched 
no less than 300,000 soldiers over-seas and has cnotributed 
several million pounds worth of war material to the 
Empire. She has sent troops to France and to China ; 
to the Cameroons on the West Coast of Africa and to 
Mombasa on the East ; to Egypt and Gallipoli ; to 
Mesopotamia and Persia. 
But the most noteworthy point is that for the first time 
in history Indians and British have fought side by side 
on the battlefields of Europe. It was a momentous step 
to take. This is a war between Europeans. We did not 
use our Indian troops in the Boer war. And many may 
have thought it unwise — even wrong — to employ them 
in Europe. But the enthusiasm in India was so strong ; 
the eagerness of India to take part with the rest of the 
Empire in this struggle so great, that it was impossible 
to leave them out. The Germans profess themselves 
to be shocked and hurt at our employing what they call 
savages to fight against them. But the disciplined 
troops of the Indian Army have as fine a chivalry in 
warfare and fight as cleanly as any European army ; and 
the peoples they are enlisted from, though sometimes 
wild, are not barbarian : they at least have their code 
of honour. 
On a brilliant day at the end of September, 1914, long 
lines of transports steamed in stately procession into 
Marseilles harbour. It was a significant event. The 
