Omaha daily bee., 1899-10-19
THE BRITISH DEFENSE.

The defense offered by Lord Salisbury
of Great Britains position in the Trans
vaal conflict is quite what was to have
been expected. He places the entire re-
sponsibility for the war upon the Boer
government, which, it was said by the
British prime minister, did what no prov
ocation on the part of Great Britain
the Boer ultimatum, demanding that
Great Britain withdraw her troops
from the border, remove from South
Africa the soldiers landed since June 1
last and keep out of the country the
troops then on the sea. This Lord Sails
bury characterized as an audacious de-
fiance, but for which mo one could have
predicted that we would ever be at war"
There had been a hope of maintaining
peace. but that and all questions in
yolved in the controversy were wiped
away by the zone great insult of the
ultimatum, which left no other course
than the one that has been taken.
England has no more sagacious and
skillful political tactician than Salisbury
and he will have no difficulty in per-
suading the English people that the
government is fully justified in what it
is doing. Indeed, the country is prac-
tically solid in support of the govern.
ment The statement of the liberal
leader in the House Of Commons COM
mits the party he represents to the sup
port of the war and the vote in the
house on the proposal of arbitration is
an index to the general sentiment. The
opposition is apparently confined TO the
nationalists and few radicals, constl-
tuting a very small and by no means in
| fluential minority. Even Harcourt and
Morley, who now represent no party
| but were most earnest in their opposi-
| ton to the policy of Chamberlain toward
| the Transvaal, may be expected to OBJ.
| serve silence If they do not support the
government in carrying on war.
But the British defense will not be re-
garded everywhere outside of England
as conclusive. Admitting that the Boel
government took an extraordinary steI
| in submitting such an ultimatum that
as was said by Lord Salisbury, it die
what the strongest nation has never II
its strength done to any opponent it has
challenged" the question present:
itself whether the provocation was no
most extraordinary. Great Britain wa
steadily augmenting its army in Soutl
Africa and pushing forward its forces t
the Transvaal border; the delays IL
| diplomatic negotiations were manifest.
intended to enable England to advanc,
her military preparations, which 70
weeks We're hurried forward with al
possible vigOr; finally came the sum
moning of Parliament and the callin;
out of the reserves, concluslyely indi
eating British purpose. The weake
power saw, as did the whole civilize,
world, that it's cause would be hopeless
if it permitted its mighty antagonist t
carry out the evident design of post
poning a conflict until ready to launc
an overwhelming force against tn
Tansvaal republic and obeying the lay
of self-preservation 1t decided to aecep
the inevitable while there was som
|
initiation, Perhaps stronger natio
would not have taken the course of tn
Boer government, but it is not to b
doubted that the fair and unprejudice
judgment of the world regards the AZ
ton of the Boer government as wisel
taken, for the intimation of Lord Sali
3 bury that there was promise of mail
tanning peace up TO the time of the ult
matum will have no weight with unpre
Q udiced minds familiar with the facts.
: Great Britain could have ayerted wa
: If at the outset it had met the Tran
e vaal republic in a perfectly fair an
y straightforward way. 1t could ha,
y done this with substantial benefit TO II
r outlanders and without any loss of pre-
n tige. That power is responsible for Il
n war, Notwithstanding the fact that Il
S Beers took the initiative, and it cann
It successfully plead justification by reasC
It of an ultimatum which il distinctly pr
voked, The idea that the action of II