Abstract

Wisdom of an Elder Statesman

The article focuses on the book "Africa and Some World Problems" by the author J.C. Smuts. This book contains a collection of addresses about subjects superficially at least very heterogeneous--Living-stone, Africa, the League of Nations, Democracy. Anyone, moreover, who would detect an inner unity, believing that a man's attitude to African native problems will excellently indicate how truly he is a democrat, may well be deceived. When he is discussing matters non-African, Smuts is the great liberal Elder Statesman, the show-piece to prove the success of the British Commonwealth idea. When, however, he is discussing Africa, local politics come into play, and General Smuts becomes very definitely a South African advocating the territorial segregation of the black and white races.