Stranack read a cable which he had. received from General J. C, Smuts.
Pretoria, reading: "Your Jubilee dinner much appreciated. Greetings and good wishes from Union. General Smuts." To this a reply bad been sent reading: "Shanghai South Africans send heartfelt greetings to. you and Union this Jubilee Day."
In addition to Sir John and Lady Brenan, and Mr. A. T. Brennan, the guests were: Mr. W." G. Crokam, President of the Anzac Society, and Mrs, Crokam, Mr. H, Merrick, Seer tary of the Canadian Club, and Mrs, Merrick, Mr. E. Howard, Editor of the "North-China Daily News," and.
We who fought in the South African War are often inclined to think too much of what we did in bringing about the Union and do not go back far enough into history. 'This month Is the Centenary of the first 'Kafr War, for it was in December, 1634, after' one of the usual Ltt affrays over stolen cattle, that some: 15,000 Kafirs crossed the marches on a front of about 100 miles between the Winterbery, and the sea and fell upon the white settlements with fire: and sword, with the result that the bulk of the settlers fled to Grahams town, miles' in six days into Gral arrived on 1835, and organized the settlers and restored, confidence. His argument was that nothing would make the Kaffirs retire $0 quickly as invasion of their own territory, s0 he collected men, 3,500 burghers, 800 Hottentots, and he mounted $0 Gordon Highlanders, so that by March the force was a mobile one of 3,000, and what we would call to-day a reserve of some 2,000 more. Knowing that cattle were the Katlrs dearest possession, Harry Smith turned the war into a ries of cattle raiding forays. You jollop in and halt by force, ind half by stratagem, burn their homes, lift their cattle, and return triumphant. So swift were the: movements of the different columns and so terrible the name of Harry Smith' that the Kaffirs fled at the very sound of his approach. By the end of May, history does not state it was the Sis, the rebellion had been thoroughly suppressed and thus came; fo an end 100 years ago what we call the First Kaffirs War.
In 1001 and 1902 we resorted to practically the same kind of tactics Dut, ladies and gentlemen, it is the pioneers who deserve the credit, and although we are only celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Union of South Africa, its history, resources, and everything else, go back into the centuries. Names convey ttle to many follo and we often hear the phrase "what's in a name," but surely In the history of South Africa: names convey a lot. Take Durban named after that great soldier, a veteran of the Peninsula War, ' Sir Benjamin D'Urban. I have referred to Colonel Harry Smith as a soldier, but Harrismith you know, and then hho was the husband of the lady who gave her name, with the memory of her singularly' romantic life to. the town of Ladysmith. Rhodes, Botha, Smuts, the various Governers-General, and men of our time, worked hard, and to them we also "The South Africans who attended the celebration dinner included: and Mrs., Boardman, Mr, Mes, LIG. Howard. Me, and Mrs. 1 Ken-Crows, Mrs. A. G. Mossop, MP. A. G."Munks, Mr, and'Mrs, P. V. Muraour, Taylor. and Mis E. B. Wallwork, Mr. D, Ward= Smith, Br. and Mrs. J. itayries Wilson, Mr. F. &, Wood, Supt. Win. ©. Woodfeld Mr. H, Wyatt
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.