to be administratively subjected to whatever education test the Colonial Secretary may enforce, and admitted or rejected according to the result. If the door is closed on their countrymen, the Indians claim that it shall not be closed on the ground of colour or race.
Their claims are modest, reasonable and just. If they are to be become worthy members of the commonwealth, they should be permitted to secure the means of development. They are surely entitled to have their own doctors, lawyers, and religious teachers. At present, all sections of the community recognise the need of importing educated men from other countries. No religious denomination in South Africa can as yet afford to content itself with Colonial ministers, and least of all the Asiatics.
The Government offers, in its new Act, to grant "temporary permits" to meet their claim, but it demands no great keenness of perception to recognise the utter futility of this offer. A "permit," which might be cancelled at any moment at the caprice of an official, would be useless to a self-respecting man. No cultured Asiatic of any character would submit to accept such a "ticket-of-leave," and the Asiatic community refuses the proposal as a basis of settle-
