Welsh Journals

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The incident rankled in Robert's mind, and gave to Bill fresh occasions for insolence, which increased when he was appointed rural postman a few weeks afterwards. He could now claim oral information as well the postman from the town had spoken at Tresant to the engine-driver who had seen a minister at Carmarthen who had actually been told in Cardiff Sometimes he hinted at direct information from the Post- master-General himself. Robert's influence was waning, and his visits to the shop became less frequent. But at last he had his revenge, and the manner of that revenge is still related in the village it completely restored his prestige and obliterated his enemy. It was the morning of the monthly fair at Tresant, and Robert, with a number of others, was waiting for the conveyance at the village cross-roads, when Bill came along on his round. Anything for me to-day, Bill? asked Robert in a friendly way. I don't know," answered Bill curtly, and even if there is, it must be delivered at the house Post Office regulations, you know." The van drove up and as Robert got inside he heard Bill's mocking advice- Get a daily paper in Tresant to-day." WELSHMEN WHO INFLUENCE AFRICA by Professor John Hughes, University of South Africa MEN and women from Wales have played their parts in the Dark Continent ever since the days when H. M. Stanley- himself a Welshman--explored the interior. A leading South African of Afrikaner nationality, discussing with a friend the election of a Welsh- man to a post in the Union, expressed his pleas- ure at the appointment, as "Welshmen make good settlers." The social heritage of a race that has known subjection possibly helps the Cel- tic imagination to enter sympathetically into the standpoint of the non-Anglo-Saxon communities of Africa. The Welshman's influence can be correspondingly valuable in a region where popu- lation contacts create difficulties in race relations. The present article deals with three Welshmen who are to-day exerting an influence on African life and education. The first is Mr. J. D. Rheinallt Jones, of johannesburg-a son of Wales who has won for himself a position of considerable influence in Africa. He is a living example of that concili- ative influence which Welshmen can and do use- fully exert abroad. His work lies mainly in that That night on the return journey Robert was in a cheerful mood which no one could explain. Time and again he broke forth into merry banter which the van driver vaguely hinted must have been due to a visit to the Red Lion." In order to bring him back to coherency and reality he asked- Well, did you get your daily paper? Yes," said Robert with a shattering chuckle, and I'm going to get it every day now." The full significance of this remark came home to Bill when he set out on his round three days afterwards with a provincial newspaper addressed to Robert Jones, Esq., Brynlluest, Abernant, Tresant." He could see Brynlluest two miles away, its white-washed walls gleaming mock- ingly against a background of dark cloud. He thought of the weary trudge and the weary, weary days to come, with a paper to be delivered at Brynlluest every day. Robert was coming down the road. Would he give him the paper? No he himself had pleaded Post Office regu- lations. As Robert turned away along a by-path, Bill halted in deep despair. A stray snowflake stung him in the eye, and a tiny gust of wind tripped past his ear with a little laugh. sphere of European-Bantu race relations which is one of the main difficulties of African statesman- ship. How difficult this problem is one can scarcely hope to convey in an article of this com- pass. A simple example may illustrate. When Mrs. Hanbury Williams came out to South Africa in the days of the Milner regime, she was pre- sented, at a certain function, with a bouquet by a little white girl, whom she kissed, in accord- ance with the usual practice on such occasions. Being presented with a second bouquet, this time by a little coloured girl, she acknowledged her compliment, too, in the same gracious and courteous manner. For this she was severely criticised in South Africa. Innumerable exam- ples could be cited of this attitude. Mr. Rhein- allt Jones has been instrumental in establishing in the various towns of the Union a chain of Jo:nt Councils of Europeans and Bantu. In these Councils white and black folk meet to co- operate on matters pertaining to native welfare- health, education and social service generally. He has succeeded also in establishing a wide- spread organisation on the lines of the Boy