same relation to the Nationalist movement there that the Ulsterites
bear to the Sinn Feiners in Ireland. Instead of being segregated as are
the followers of Sir Edward Carson, they are scattered throughout the
country.

At the General Election held early in 1920,--general elections are held
every five years,--the results were surprising. The Nationalists
returned a majority of four over the South African Party in Parliament.
It left Smuts to carry on his Government with a minority. To add to his
troubles, the Labour Party,--always an uncertain proposition,--increased
its representation from a mere handful to twenty-one, while the
Unionists, who comprise the straight-out English-speaking Party, whose
stronghold is Natal, suffered severe losses. Smuts could not very well
count the latter among his open allies because it would have alienated
the hard-shell Boers in the South African Party.

This was the situation that I found on my arrival in Capetown. On one
hand was Smuts, still Prime Minister, taxing his every resource as
parliamentarian and pacificator to maintain the Union and prevent a
revolt from Britain--all in the face of a bitter and hostile majority.
On the other hand was Hertzog, bent on secession and with a solid array
of discontents behind him. The two former comrades of the firing line,
as the heads of their respective groups, were locked in a momentous
political life-and-death struggle the outcome of which may prove to be
the precedent for Ireland, Egypt, and India.

[Illustration: _Photograph Copyright South African Railways_

GROOTE SCHUUR]

II

Yet Smuts continued as Premier which means that he brought the life of
Parliament to a close without a sharp division. Moreover, he
manoeuvered his forces into a position that saved the day for Union
and himself. How did he do it?

I can demonstrate one way and with a rather personal incident. During
the week I spent in Capetown Smuts was an absorbed person as you may
imagine. The House was in session day and night and there were endless
demands on him. The best opportunities that we had for talk were at
meal-time. One evening I dined with him in the House restaurant. When we
sat down we thought that we had the place to ourselves. Suddenly Smuts
cast his eye over the long room and saw a solitary man just commencing
his dinner in the opposite corner. Turning to me he said:

"Do you know Cresswell?"

"I was introduced to him yesterday," I replied.

"W