The papers of Wednesday announced that a compromise on the
difficult question of the capital had been come to by the South African Convention. Pretoria is to be the adminis- trative capital of the Union of South Africa, and Cape Town the legislative capital. The Convention had almost reached a deadlock, and a compromise was the only solution. The draft of the Constitution has not yet been made public. The Times special correspondent, telegraphing on Wednesday, said that he gathered that the Orange River Colony and Natal delegates, whose consent had been in doubt, regarded the Constitution as the best available compromise, and would support it unreservedly in their Colonies. Of course the decision to have a double capital has caused a good deal of criticism ; but, after all, an arrangement which is difficult to work is better than no Union of South Africa at all. The Times corre- spondent reports General Botha as saying that the plan is quite workable, and is likely to be permanent. Lord Curzon also informed the Cape Times that he believed it was work- able, and he quoted as proof his Indian experience of "camp offices" between Simla. and Calcutta.
