Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/193

 1899.] Diminishing Chances of Peace' [185

culty in the way appeared to be suspicion on either side of the real motives and aims of the other. He avowed the belief that there was no real or genuine body of opinion in Great Britain which desired for a moment to destroy, or even to curtail, the internal independence of the Transvaal, and con- tinued : " As regards, on the other hand, the reality and validity of any pledges that may come from Pretoria, while I agree that President Rruger's methods often tax one's patience, it appears to me to be all-important to remember that in respect of what- ever assurances he now gives, and we now accept, we shall have, I will not say hostages, but at least as sureties for their performance, the sentiment and the sense of honour of the whole Afrikander population of South Africa. . . . President Kruger has access to excellent advice, and he can hardly fail in the long run to realise that no settlement can be genuine or permanent which, while fully safeguarding the autonomy of the South African Republic, does not frankly and unreservedly concede whatever is just in the Outlanders' demands. We, on our side, who have the advantage of being represented upon the spot by one of the clearest and strongest heads in the empire — Sir A. Milner — ought not to, and I helieve we shall not, lose the sense of proportion and exaggerate details into principles. Holding this view, I for one am not alarmed by the irresponsible clamours which we hear from some familiar quarters for war." This last phrase of Mr. Asquith's probably referred to the strong terms in which some newspapers were dwelling upon the impossibility of an indefinite continuance of negotiations, having regard to the intelligence constantly arriving of the growing excitement in South Africa, and the great disorgani- sation of business and consequent distress caused among the Outlander population of the Transvaal, many of whom were leaving that country, and elsewhere in South Africa, by the protracted uncertainty as to the issue of the controversy. It soon became evident, however, that any hope of a genuine advance on the part of the Pretoria Government towards the redress of the Outlander grievances was steadily declining, unless on conditions which Mr. Asquith himself had recognised as being ' ' unacceptable. ' ' On August 31, in the Transvaal Volks- raad, the correspondence between the Imperial Government and the Transvaal Government was read in open session, when President Kruger denied that the Transvaal Government had excluded the British residents in that country from political rights, but declared that they had always registered themselves as British subjects, and had refused at the time Lord Loch visited Pretoria to go on commando service. On September 1, Mr. Fischer, of the Free State Executive, arrived at Pretoria from Bloemfontein to consult with the Government, and it was hoped by some people in this country that his influence would be exerted on the side of a reasonable settlement. After a T secret session, which was held next day, however, a reply was