The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-14
THE TRANSVAAL RAID.
Investigating Committee Reports on
Cecil Rhodes Conspiracy.

LONDON, July 13-The parliamentary
South African commission that has been in
quiring into the Transvaal raid has agreed
on it's report The Pail Mall Gazette pub
fishes an emphatic opinion that whatever
justification there might have been for ac-
ton on the part of the people of Johannes
burg, there was none whatever for Cecil
RhOdes'S conduct in substituting organizing
and stimulating an armed insurrection
against the government of the Transvaal
A heavy responsibility, according to the re-
port, remains with Rhodes, despite the fact
that at the last moment DR.. Jameson in
vaded the Transvaal without Rhodes's d.
rect sanction. The gravity of Rhodes's
transaction is weightily expressed by the
committed who find that he seriously en-
barrassed both the imperial and colonial
governments; that his proceedings resulted
in astounding breach of international
comfy; that he utilized his position and
the great interests he controlled to assist
and support revolution and deceived the
high commissioner, as we'll as concealed his
views from the members of the colonial
Ministry and the directors of the Chartered
Company"
The committee is of opinion that of the
Chartered Company directors who were ex-
were cognizant of the plans of Rhodes and
as Belt was intrusted with the money to
promote revolutionary movement, he must
share the full responsibility for the conse-
quences. The report adds that Newton also
failed in mis- duty but in a less degree. The
committee in conclusion unites to condemn
the raid, but at the same time 1t expresses
the opinion that nothing will be gained by
proceeding with the proposed extension Of
m
Chartered Company. 1t declares Lord Rose
meade and Mr.. Chamberlain and the under
secretaries of the Colonial Office blameless
on the ground that there is no evidence
that any of them was in any sense cogni-
zant of the plans for the raid, but 1t pro-
nounces Sir Graham Bower. imperial secre-
tary of the high commissioner, guilty of a
grave dereictiOn of duty in that he failed
to decline to receive from Cecil Rhodes con-
tidential communications wholly incOmpat-
ible with the duty he owed the high COM
missioner.
A voluminous minority report presented
by Mr.: Labouchere finds that the plan for
the raid was concocted by Belt and Rhodes
and sought to be carried out thTough
Philips, Hammond, Col. Rhodes Cecil
Rhodes's brother) and Leonard. 1t was de-
vised, according to Mr.. Labouchere in
order that certain wealthy men might be
his report, may possibly have been ntiu-
enced to a certain extent by vague and
hay idea Of the vast African 3 federati on
play the leading part, but he was also in
fluenced and is influenced by financial con-
siderations."
Mr.. Labouchere does not consider that
certain high personages in the board of di-
rectors Of the Chartered Company did their
duty, while he hints that Rhodes and Belt
merit severe punishment" for raid
which is zone of the most disgraceful cpl
sodes of our country's history" The minor
ity report concludes as follows
I'VE regret that the alleged completely of
the Colonial Office has not been probed to
the bottom in order to more effecutally
remove any idea that there may have been
home proof in the statements OF certain
witnesses that the secret aims of Cecil
Rhodes were more or less clearly revealed
to Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain"