Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/203

 1899.] The "Interim Despatch:' [195

to secure for themselves that fair and just treatment which was formally promised to them in 1881, and which her Majesty intended to secure for them when she granted the privilege of self-government to the inhabitants of the Trans- vaal.

"As was stated in my telegram of September 8, her Majesty's Government are of opinion that no conditions less comprehensive than those contained in their offer of that date can be relied upon to effect this object.

" The refusal of the Government of the South African Republic to entertain the offer thus made, coming as it does at the end of nearly four months of protracted negotiations, themselves the -climax of an agitation extending over a period of more than five years, makes it useless to further pursue a discussion on the lines hitherto followed, and her Majesty's Government are now compelled to consider the situation afresh, and to formulate their own proposals for a final settlement of the issues which have been created in South Africa by the policy constantly followed for many years by the Government of the South African Republic. They will communicate to you the result of their deliberations in a later despatch."

That a door was intentionally left open by the above despatch was shown beyond a doubt by the terms of the reply which (Sept. 25) Mr. Chamberlain telegraphed to a message forwarded to him (Sept. 21) by Sir A. Milner, on behalf of the Cape Government. Mr. Schreiner and his colleagues, who had had an extremely difficult part to play throughout the prolonged controversy, desired to convey the assurance that they had done their best to aid a peaceful and satisfactory settlement, and to urge that the main, in* deed they feared the only remaining hope of avoiding the calamity of war was " a large measure of consideration shown by her Majesty's Government." In his reply Mr. Chamber- lain said that her Majesty's Government had shown and would " continue to show every consideration to the Govern- ment of the South African Republic consistent with the maintenance of British interests," and that it was " still open " to that Government to secure a peaceful and satisfac- tory settlement "without any sacrifice of its independence."

Shaking at Dundee (Sept. 28) Mr. Balfour summed up the situation : " We have sought peace earnestly and con- scientiously, to the utmost of our ability. We have striven for long for a peaceful and honourable solution of this perennial South African difficulty, and if that honourable solution is not now to prove a peaceful solution, the fault rests on other heads than ours."

Having reviewed the course of events since 1881, Mr. Balfour went on to point out that the Transvaal Government was required to do no more to the English settlers within their

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