The record-union., 1897-03-27
INQUIRY into THE
TRANSVAAL RAID.
Dr.. Jameson, Leader Of the British Forces,
Tells the Story Of His Movements.
His Actions Justified by the Condition
of the Uitlanders.
Exculpates Cecil Rhodes From the Re-
sponsibility of Having Ordered the
Final Move of the Troops Across
the Border, Saying He Had rlanaged
the Step on His Own Account.

LONDON, March 26.-At the session
to-day of the Parliamentary committee
inquiring into the Transvaal raid, the
Secretary of State for the Colonies,
Joseph Chamberlain, continued his ex-
animation of w. P. Schreiner, who was
Attorney-General of Cape Colony at
the time Cecil Rhodes was Premier.
All the questions put indicated de-
sire to vindicate Mr.. Chamberlain
policy in the Transvaal.
Following Mr.. Schreiner, DR. Jane
son, leader of the British military
forces, told the story of his move
ments, which has frequently been re-
hearSed in print. He sought 10 juSti-
fly his actions by pointing out the
critical condition of the Uitlanders in
the Transvaal prior to the raid. DR..
Jameson exculpated Rhodes from the
responsibility of having ordered the
final move of the troops across the
border, saying he had managed the
step on his own account.
Jameson's statement continued: ''In
the middle of 1894 Mr. Rhodes and
John Hays Hammond, the American
engineer We're with me in Matabele-
land, when the position of the Trans
vaal and the grievances of the Uit-
landers We're freely discussed Mr..
Hammond asserted that it was impos
sible for the economic conditions of
the Rand to continue, and that unless
a radical change was made there would
be a rising of the people of Johannes
burg
L was much impressed with Mr..
Hammond's representations, and after
wards in company with Mr.. Hammond,
L went to Johannesburg and Pretoria
and verified the accuracy of his views.
The result of those Investigations was
that the Chartered Company's police
and volunteers were prepared so that
if a revolution occurred and help was
needed we should be in a position to
send it.
subsequently, in 1895, I revisited
johannesburg and found the people de-
termined to bring matters to an issue
In the course of my protracted con-
ference the leaders informed me re-
garding their wishes and plans. The
first proposal was to act alone, but
my troops were to be In readiness on
the border in case they were required.
Later the leaders concluded that there
was no hope of success without the
help of an armed force, and they decid-
ed that the only way to obtain reforms
was to change the administration of
the Transvaal, and that the safest
mode of effecting this would be to have
a sufficient force at Johannesburg to
induce President Kruger to take pie
biscite of the whole population to de-
eide who was to be President They
therefore invited my help, and it was
arranged to take my force to Johannes
burg to maintain order and bring pres
sure to bear upon the Transvaa1 while
the redress of the grievances was en-
forced by them. Therefore I obtained
the letter signed by leaders, with which
the committee is familiar, and it was
agreed that simultaneously with the
rising at johannesburg, at the end of
December, / was to start"
DR.. Jameson, it appears, afterward
told Mr.. Rhodes of his arrangements,
and the latter agreed to them
The statement then deals with the
preparations to force the frontier.
arousing the suspicious of the Beers,
and the communications between DR..
Jameson and the leaders at Johannes
burg, the latter never intimating any
intention of abandoning their determi-
nation to appeal to arms.
The statement next refers to the re-
port of the grave situation in the
mines, and adds: "Under my arrange
ments with the Johannesburgers, I
felt I had no alternative but to pro-
ceed, and I started the same day."
The statement concludes: mo COM
munication whatever was received from
Rhodes or from anyone at Cape Town
directing or authorizing my force to
move to johannesburg I acted on my