Rhodes—Rhodesia
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Survivors of the pioneers Jameson had led into Mashonaland in 1890 were present, and Matabele and Mashona indunas.
Rhodesia's Part in the World War.—The Rhodesian frontiers in 1914 touched German protectorates both on the west and east. The Caprivi “Finger” of German S.W. Africa came up to the Zambezi, west of the Victoria Falls. It was occupied by the Rhodesian forces with little difficulty. On the east a more serious situation was presented, as the Germans, in comparatively strong force, entered Rhodesian territory between Lakes Tanganyika and Nyasa. Aided by and giving aid to the troops of the Belgian Congo, Rhodesian volunteers and the British South Africa police rendered excellent service and held their own against the Germans. Subsequently Rhodesians played a notable part in Gen. Northey’s offensive. A small Matabele contingent took part in the fighting, and a combatant battalion was raised from the natives of Northern Rhodesia.
From the first the Rhodesians were not content with the defence of their own territory. A regiment (1st Rhodesian) was raised for service in the 1914 rebellion and in the campaign in S.W. Africa, and early in 1915 another regiment (2nd Rhodesian) was sent to British East Africa, where it gained a deservedly great reputation. Many Rhodesians also enlisted in the British army. Altogether 6,859 Rhodesians (Europeans) were on active service during the war, a number much more than half the adult male population. Rhodesian natives engaged as combatants in E. Africa numbered 2,721, and in addition there were 40,732 “first-line” carriers. Some 152,000 other carriers were engaged on war service in Northern Rhodesia alone.
In the last days of the war (Nov. 2 1918) Gen. von Lettow Vorbeck, with all that was left of the German forces, turning westwards from his pursuers, entered Northern Rhodesia and had reached the Chambezi near Kasama on the day the Armistice was signed in Europe. It was in Rhodesia, therefore, that the last act in the war was played, von Lettow surrendering to the magistrate at Kasama on Nov. 14.
Northern Rhodesia.—The amalgamation of North-Eastern and North-Western Rhodesia was carried into effect on Aug. 17 1911, when Mr. (afterwards Sir) Lawrence Wallace was appointed administrator, a post he held for nearly ten years.[1] The defence of the territory, which had been shared with Nyasaland, had been taken over entirely by the Rhodesian authorities a short time before the amalgamation was carried through. The number of British settlers gradually increased and missionaries did valuable work in training the natives and introducing higher standards among them. The proposal of the Chartered Co. to amalgamate Northern and Southern Rhodesia has already been referred to; the project was dropped. The war, which deeply affected Northern Rhodesia, at first caused marked depression, which was removed by the military expenditure in 1916–7, while the building of the Katanga railway and the mining activity in Katanga brought about a revival. An elective, but purely advisory, council was established in July 1913.
The Chartered Co. was faced with much the same difficulties in Northern as in Southern Rhodesia, nor in the north did revenue meet administrative expenditure. Up to March 31 1919 the deficit was placed at over £1,250,000. As in Southern Rhodesia, the Company claimed the land and minerals and the repayment of administrative deficits, and, equally, the white settlers claimed a greater share in the government, notably control of finance. The consideration of these questions was remitted to the Buxton committee, which in its second report, dated April 29 1921, advised that the legality or otherwise of the Company’s claims should be settled by the Privy Council before the future status of Northern Rhodesia was decided. Meanwhile the immediate creation of a legislative council was recommended.
Barotseland (see 3.424). Barotseland, the S.W. part of Northern Rhodesia, continued to be a native reserve in which Europeans, other than the officials of the Chartered Co. and missionaries and traders approved by the paramount chief, were not allowed to settle. The paramount chief in the exercise of his authority is aided by a ngambella (prime minister) and a kotla (council); he has no jurisdiction over Europeans. Relations between the Barotse and the Company were satisfactory and missionary enterprise prospered. Distinct interest in education was shown; in 1912 there were 413 scholars at the Barotse national school, 251 being boarders. Lewanika (see 16.519), who had placed his country under British protection and who won and retained the reputation of an enlightened ruler, died in 1916. He was succeeded by his eldest son Yeta III. (formerly known as Litia). Lealui, the native capital, and Mongu, the residence of the chief British officials, are both on the Zambezi and seven miles distant from one another.
A list of parliamentary papers relating to Rhodesia is given in the Colonial Office List, published annually in London, and annual reports are issued by the British South Africa Company. See also C. Gouldsbury and H. Sheane, The Great Plateau of Northern Rhodesia (1911); A. Darter, The Pioneers of Mashonaland (1914); the Report of the Rhodesia Resources Committee (1921); H. Rolin, Les lois et l'administration de la Rhodésie (1913); J. H. Harris, The Chartered Millions (1920); and A. S. and G. G. Brown, The South and East African Year Book and Guide (annually).
In the preparation of this article the writer is indebted to G. H. Lepper, of the Trade Supplement to The Times.
Rhondda, David Alfred Thomas, Viscount (1856–1918), British colliery owner and Food Controller in the World War, was a Welshman, born March 26 1856 in Aberdare, grandson of a Monmouthshire yeoman farmer, and son of a Merthyr grocer. His father had prospered in his trade, and in later life enriched himself by speculations in coal. Young Thomas was sent to Clifton College, and afterwards to Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated as a senior optime in the mathematical tripos in 1880, and immediately joined his father in the coal business. He threw himself with great energy and ability both into that and into local Liberal politics; and was so successful in both spheres that he was returned to Parliament for Merthyr in 1888. His extraordinary commercial gifts, his insight, his foresight, and the sympathy which he brought to bear on the conditions of life in the mining industry, soon made him a prominent, and eventually the leading, figure in the industrial world of S. Wales. “D.A.,” as he was always called, by his initials, in his own part of the country, endeared himself to the miners by becoming their champion in the ’nineties against the undercutting of prices by middlemen, and by the generous wages which he paid in the collieries under his control; and though in subsequent years he sometimes had differences with the men, he always retained their respect. His business combinations brought him great wealth and culminated in the Cambrian super-combine, which produced some six million tons of steam coal a year. Other important undertakings in which he took a leading share were the Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron and Coal Co., the Rhymney Iron Co., and the Taff Vale Railway Company. So extensive were the ramifications of his interests that, when he accepted office in 1916, the number of directorships from which he retired was no fewer than forty. He had much longer to wait for success in the political than in the commercial field. Though he sat in the House of Commons for Merthyr for 22 years and afterwards for some months for Cardiff, no use was made by the political chiefs of his party of his great capacities for public service, and he therefore retired from Parliament in 1910.
The outbreak of the World War gave him his opportunity. He rendered substantial help to Mr. Lloyd George both at the Exchequer and in the office of munitions, by organizing British industrial resources for war. He took a lead in “capturing German trade,” carrying through, for instance, the acquisition of the Sanatogen business. He went to America to complete important war contracts for the Government, and on his return was saved, with his daughter, Lady Mackworth, from the sinking of the “Lusitania.” He went back to America almost immediately, and spent seven months there at his own expense, expediting the output of munitions, and regulating and systematizing the prices charged. He was created a baron, as Lord Rhondda, for his services in Jan. 1916; and it was natural that, when Mr. Lloyd George, in forming his ministry in the following Dec., made up his mind to introduce captains of industry into office, he should turn at once to his old ally, who became president of the Local Government Board. His principal business in this post was to prepare for the establishment of the Ministry of Health. Before this was effected he accepted, in June 1917, at the Prime Minister’s pressing request, the onerous burden of the Food Controllership, vacated by Lord Devonport. He was no respecter of persons, and immediately took strong steps to put an end to the speculation in the necessities of life which was becoming a public scandal. Then he
- ↑ On the retirement of Sir L. Wallace (1920), Sir D. Chaplin, the administrator of S. Rhodesia, took charge of N. Rhodesia also.
