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up the Bismarck tradition of 'Blood and Iron' or else be denounced as a bad patriot. What incalculable harm that one man, Bismarck, has done, and by how many years or centuries he has retarded the progress of the human race."

And in 1910:

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'Nothing will go very much amiss if we may have peace for the next ten years; but war, a big European war in which England is engaged, will ruin everything."

This growing menace impelled him to seek every opportunity to undo the mischief which the militarists of all nationalities were creating, but at the same time he felt that adequate steps must be taken by Great Britain. In the same year-four years before the event-he used words which proved prophetic :

"If it were what the alarmists say, a case of war in six months, why we ought to put all party strife aside and have Balfour serving under Asquith or Asquith under Balfour."

The same clearsighted vision, the same equipoise of mind and the same generosity of heart characterized his reference to the growing power of organized labour. Writing upon Labour Government in the Antipodes he humorously remarks and Thomas Hodgkin was a humorous soul—

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'There is reason to fear that Demos is riding his poor horse Plutus too hard. Though it is not, I believe, an official Labour Government which is in power, everything has been done for years past to win the votes and capture the affections of the labouring class. A maximum day of eight hours (the waiters at the hotels have to vanish every now and then, whether they want a holiday or not, lest they should exceed their maximum), a minimum wage of eight shillings a day (and one is told that several men are walking the streets because employers may not pay them five shillings or six shillings, and they are not worth more); ridiculous tariffs for cabs and the like in the supposed interest of the drivers (at Wellington nothing less than five shillings after 7 p.m. however short the distance), the consequence of which, according to one's observation, is that the few cabs that there are remain on the rank nearly all day long."

Space precludes a longer review of this absorbingly interesting work which will repay the reader a hundredfold for the time spent upon its perusal.

SIR COLIN SCOTT MONCRIEFF.1

"Few lives have had so many opportunities of doing good to the world, and I know of no other who took so full an advantage of every opportunity. He is surely one of those men who might be counted happy when he dies." In these striking words Dr. Hugh Mill summed up the impression which the subject of this biography made upon him, and its readers will feel that the praise is not too high. Sir Colin Scott Moncrieff's career was a long and John Murray.

1 By M. A. Hollings.

varied one, and the work which he accomplished in India and Egypt was of the highest quality and value. But his personal qualities shine out even above his work-his energy, boldness and steadfastness of purpose, and insight, while a sunny geniality and marked simplicity rendered his character singularly attractive. Our readers know that for the last years of his life Sir Colin was one of the Treasurers of our Society, and for many years he had been a supporter of its work. His marriage connections brought him into close association with some of the families belonging to the Society of Friends whose names have long been prominent in the Anti-Slavery cause, especially those of Sturge and Albright, and his fine work in opposing the old-established corvée system in Egypt in the eighties brought him into special touch with the Anti-Slavery Society.

The chief stages of Sir Colin's career are clearly indicated, each marked by the same note of ungrudging service of the people whose interests he was called upon to administer. His quoted words-"Downright satisfactory work in a desert is better than pottering in a Paradise "—are characteristic of the spirit of the man and of his life. Sir Colin went out first to India in 1858 at the age of twenty-two as a subaltern in the Bengal Engineers and saw some active service, but he was soon called to take up the great irrigation work with which his name is specially connected and to which he devoted the chief part of his life. His nephew, General Sir George Scott Moncrieff, tells us that Sir Colin was neither a discoverer nor a great constructional engineer, but his forte lay in his power of organizing and applying the irrigation machine for the benefit of the cultivator, to see that the water supply was used for the benefit of all classes, poor and rich alike—a task which, as he well says, appealed to Sir Colin's generous instincts and made his work "an absorbing pleasure, worthy of his best endeavour."

The heartrending scenes which faced him in Mysore, where he was appointed famine Commissioner in 1877, made a profound impression and deepened his natural sympathy with suffering and helpless native peoples which was to bear such rich fruit in his services to the Egyptian fellah. After some two years in Burma, Scott Moncrieff was offered an important post as Director of Irrigation in Egypt. In a home letter he described this work as "a big thing, the biggest of its sort in the world," but as he felt that the work had come unsought and that very great benefit was likely to result to "a large population of sorely downtrodden peasantry," he bravely took up the great task. It is on the irrigation of Egypt and his regulation and completion of the Nile Barrage that his fame chiefly rests. Distinguished men who knew his work have described what an effect his sterling qualities had upon all who came in contact with him, including the Egyptian Service, and one of the Engineers from India whom he associated with himself wrote. what an amount of good he did to others, not only the poor down-trodden fellah but to his own immediate entourage."

Reference must be made to Scott Moncrieff's action against the cruel corvée system by which thousands of peasants were dragged from their homes and their own cultivations every year for a long period, unfed and unpaid, in order to clear the silt from the Nile. Scott Moncrieff hated this slave labour, which was bad both in itself and its effects, and he determined to oppose it by every means in his power. He put up a strenuous fight, and his efforts were effectual in diminishing the system, and seemed to be leading to its abolition when difficulties arose with the French and Russians, the former, in 1887, refusing to grant the money for abolition. Scott Moncrieff's indignation was such that he decided on the serious step of tendering his resignation; his reasons are given in the following letter to his future wife :

"I have just done a serious thing. The more I thought of this corvée business the more I felt it. For two years we have succeeded in greatly diminishing it. We have paid honestly for our labour in part, at least, and taken away much of the sting of the corvée. Now we are deliberately to undo all we have done and thrust the people back to this form of slavery. England is really responsible for Egypt and must really bear the blame of this. So, my dear, I have determined to be no party to such a cruel transaction, and have this morning resigned my post. I suppose it will make a row; I have a sort of wild hope it may do good, and stir Baring up to see what a blackguard business it is. If not, I shall have done my best." Happily an arrangement was reached; Scott Moncrieff was able to withdraw his resignation, and the £250,000 which was needed to pay for the Canal works was granted.

In June, 1887, Scott Moncrieff received the honour of K.C.M.G. After he left Egypt ten years of quite other work fell to his lot, having been appointed Under-Secretary for Scotland, and he felt that his days of foreign service were over. As a matter of fact the later years, when he was nearly three score years and ten, were marked by journeys to all parts of the world, including Egypt, India, Japan, America and South Africa. He had an intense love of travel and adventure. His appointment as President of the Irrigation Commission in India in 1901 gave him a task which he was peculiarly well-fitted to undertake, and which he carried out with distinction.

Sir Colin's happy home life and the domestic side of his character are well brought out in the book. He had a genius for friendship and loved to fill his hospitable house with relatives and friends, including the many children of the families connected with him. No wonder that his personality impressed people with "an irresistible charm." His strenuous life was marked by many losses and deep sorrows, but his devout mind, a mind which, as Lord Bryce wrote, was "always bent on high things," and his simple faith, enabled him to meet them with a brave and calm spirit.

The book, which is based on a diary of Sir Colin's own keeping, contains accounts from many of those most intimate with him in his work, and is sympathetically compiled by a niece who has succeeded in presenting an attractive picture of the life of a great and good man.

ANNUAL

1917.

REPORT.

THE Society has had a year of strenuous work which has aroused no inconsiderable amount of new interest in and sympathy with its efforts. We proceed to give a brief outline of the chief subjects dealt with, some of which, it will be readily seen, are of vital importance to the interests of the backward races of the world.

TORIAL

WAR.

The Committee has followed up its memorial to the Foreign Office on the TERRIsubject of native interests after the war and the proposal for an International CHANGES Congress by holding two Conferences during this year. The first one, in July, AFTER THE on the subject of the former German Colonies, was well attended, when a useful discussion took place after an opening address by Sir Harry Johnston, and resolutions were passed in favour of consulting the interests of the native inhabitants in any proposed reconstruction of Africa, and their wishes, as far as they can be clearly ascertained. The Society has hailed with great satisfaction the clear pronouncements of the Prime Minister on several occasions that in settling the future government of transferred territories the wishes and interest of the people themselves must be "the dominant factor."

The second Conference was held in November on the subject of International Control in tropical Colonies, and among other speakers Lord Sheffield and Mr. J. M. Robertson, M.P., took part. The general feeling of the meeting was in favour of international control, and a co-operation between the Powers in Africa, as against international management or administration.

In January, 1918, a memorial was addressed to Mr. Balfour,1 forwarding the resolutions of the Conference on these subjects and asking for a deputation. In acknowledging the Society's letter with thanks, Mr. Balfour, although not able to receive a deputation owing to pressure of work, expressed general sympathy with its views.

DISTURB

The Society has continued to press upon the Government its urgent THE CEYLON request for a full investigation into the Ceylon grievances by correspondence ANCES. with the Colonial Office and a special memorial and deputations to Ministers. A considerable number of prisoners have been set free as a result of the Governor's revision of many of the sentences. The Society has taken the opportunity of submitting specific cases to Mr. Long, and in at least two

1 See p. 2.

21

THE

RHODESIAN
QUESTION.

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cases where the Government replied that they saw no reason to reverse their adverse decision, remission of fines has subsequently been granted. In the Colonial Office debate, the attitude of the Government was criticized by several speakers, and objection was taken to the composition of the Official Commission appointed to inquire into shooting cases, but the Government reply was that everything had been done in the way of justice and that the best course was to let the whole thing die down.' The publication of the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the ten cases of shooting completely changed the position, as the Commissioners found, in each case investigated, that the act of shooting could not be justified on the ground of martial law, and, in short, had no legal justification. The Governor's covering despatch commented in strong terms upon the " deplorable incidents" and the "campaign of illegality" which had taken place owing to the irresponsible and reckless way in which the civilians entrusted with the suppression of the riots had carried out what they believed to be their instructions, which, he wrote, they seem to have construed into a commission to administer lynch law throughout the area " and to have acted like "a posse of vigilantes sent out to deal with desperadoes in the manner depicted in cinema shows and dime novels of the Wild West." The Report, together with the published evidence, afforded a striking confirmation and justification of the policy of the Society, and a further strong appeal was addressed in December, in the light of it, to the Secretary of State, endorsed by a number of public men, including Members of Parliament, who approached the Secretary of State by a Deputation of their own in December. A second Deputation was received by Mr. Hewins, the under-Secretary, in January, in which the President and Secretaries, the Bishop of Lincoln, Professor Gilbert Murray, representatives of the Free Churches, etc., took part. Mr. Hewins gave no hope of granting an inquiry, which, he said, would cast a slur upon the Governor who had already investigated all the cases brought before him, and the utmost he could offer was to examine into any specific cases which the Society might think well to lay before him. Steps are being taken to respond effectively to this offer.

During the year much time has been occupied with the preparation of the case for the natives. The gathering of material from different parts of Britain's Colonial territories is a long and costly business, but no effort must be spared if justice is to be done in this great constitutional issue. The publication of the Report upon the native reserves is a matter of vital interest and bearing upon the whole question. In 1913 a Commission was appointed under the Chairmanship of Mr. R. T. Coryndon to "finally " determine the areas of the native reserves of Rhodesia. The report of this Commission was issued in October, 1917, and the Commissioners advised that the native reserves should be readjusted," with the result that the total extensions

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should be about 5,000,000 acres and the reduction 6,000,000 acres—a nett loss to the natives of 1,000,000 acres.

The Committee of the Society viewed with concern proposals which appeared to curtail still further native occupancy rights, but in view of the fact that the whole question was in a measure sub judice and that the decision of the Judicial Committee must supersede the recommendations of this Commission it was decided to take no action in the matter beyond putting a few questions in the House of Commons with a view to eliciting information upon obscure points.

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