The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-23
The Crisis I'm South Africa.

NhAoio ." Do"'" Atths"
The coming conference between Presi-
lent kRTGER and the British High Com
missioner in South Africa will take place,
az was natural to expect, at Bloemfontein,
the capital Of the Orange Free State. There
the representatives Of the opposing intlu-
ences in South Africa will meet on neutral
ground, and President kRtGER will have
the advantage OF being able to consult with
President STEYN Of the Orange Free State,
with whom Sir ALFRED MILNER had a con-
ference a short time back, soon after his
! return from England. 1t is very proba-
bic that the President OF the Free State
will at some stage OF the conference
take part in the proceedings, the intimacy
between the two republics having become
so close that commissioners from the
Transvaal are now at Bloemfontein arrang-
ing the terms OF a reciprocal franchise
between them; in other words, creating
a common citizenship. A federal union.
which was proposed a short time since by
the Transvaal, was declared to be imprac-
ticable by President STEYN, until all doubt
as to the question OF suzerainty, claimed
By Mr.. JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, was set at
rest. 1t is on this point that the delibera-
tions at Bloemfontein will turn either for
peace or war.
President KRUGER and his Government
contend that the claim OF suzerainty is un-
founded, and base their position on the
| declaration Of Lord DERBY in 1884, when
negotiating the convention OF that year, in
which he said:
by the omission of those articles of the conven.
| tinn ~ pretnria which aaaIunal IN ber Maiasty and
TO the British Resident certain specific powers and
functions connected with the internal government
and the foreign relations of the Transvsal State,
your Government. will be left free to govern the
country without interference and to conduct its
diplomatic intercourse and shape it's foreign policy.
subject only to the requirement embodied in tho
fourth article of the new draft. that any treaty with
a foreign State shall not have effect without the Ap.
proval Of the Queen"
It is on this declaration that the Trans
vaal bases its Reputation OF vassalage to
the British Crown, and it will be interest
ing to see by what arguments the British
High COMMISSIONS will get aroundit it. There
is no reason to believe that either side is
DESTROYS OF proceeding TO extremities, how-
ever anxious some hot-heads may be to pre-
cipitate a conflict the effort will rather be
to find n practical issue hat will remove
the race animosities engendered by the
Jameson raid and free all South Africa from
the disturbing influences that hinder prog
ress and impede development. Something
more than a mere modus rivendii Is required,
and it should not be difficult to arrive at
some settlement Of the questions In dispute
without unduly wounding the susceptibility
OF the Beers or impairing the dignity of the
British Crown.
The British force at present in South
Africa, without counting volunteers and
local levies, Is composed Of two regiments
Of cavalry, seven battalions o! infantry,
three field and one mountain batteries, and
two batteries OF garrison artillery, with
the usual auxiliary services in all about
nine thousand men. 1t Is obvious that
against the numbers which IL is known the
Beers can put into the field thiss small force
Is insufficient. Unless, therefore, very con-
siderable reinforcements are despatched
from England or elsewhere, 1t may be rea-
sonably presumed that the present diff
f~culties will be settled by negotiation, the
more so that the great financial interests
at stake in South Africa would be seriously
compromised by war.
On the question OF suzerainty hangs the
ifoi O"uSO VI al NV 'i'uo'e' huhoiS' VIC
granting Of the franchise to the Uitlanders,
the majority OF whom are British subjects.
They, as is reasonable while the question is
still unsettled, refuse to forswear their al
legiance to the Queen, while foreigners Of
other nationalities are unwilling to dlvest
themselves Of the protection OF their flags
to become citizens Of a State which may at
any moment come under direct British
rule, which they do not desire. This divis-
ion of sentiment among the Uitlanders is
one OF the complications that have to
be taken into account in dealing with