Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-21
WAR PROVOKED ny BRITAIN.
An EnglishmHn Reviews His Conn
try's Dealings with TrnusNanl
II. l-.lt i ...lL

An Euglishmnn Reviews His Coun-
try's Dealings with TrnusNnnl
Philadelphia Public Ledger
A number Of luminous articles appear In
the current number OF the North American
Review which, taken together. probably
throw as much light upon all the phases o!
the war in South Africa as it is possible to
shed upon the contest while IL Is in active
progress As 1t has been with other great
conflicts that have proved to be turning
points in history, which have given new
direction to the destinies Of the contestants,
the perspective OF time will be required by
the historian who is to pronounce the last
word and the final judgment upon the event.
The first of the series Of articles In the
North American Review is contributed by
Hon. James Bryce, NJ. p. Mr. Bryce pre-
sents The Historical Causes of the War
The article is a striking commentary on the
situation from the point II view OF an eX-
ceedingy discriminating ana penetrating
mind that does not Justify England in going
to war to make good her contention or pre-
tension as to Transvaal affairs. Mr.. Bryce
has been member of the British Parlia
ment, representing Aberdeen, since 1885. He
was the under secretary OF state for for
egn affairs in 1885 He has held many other
posts of distinction under the government
/ anu, as Tue dulHUI Ol lOt american IOlU-
monwealth," became widely known to the
/ American reading public. 1t is unnecessary
to say that in this country peculiar interest
attaches to anything that MIR. Bryce says on
South African topics
After tracing the history OF the Beers in
South Africa, and particularly in the Trans
! vaal down to the Jameson raid. MIR. Bryce
says that all the subsequent turmoil in South
| Africa is directly attributable to the raid.
| The ancient dislike of the Beers fer the
| British, which was subsidng, was revived
| by it. and liberal Beers were discouraged.
Practically nothing was done to June last
to "concliate the outlander population by
| making ii easier for them to acquire citizen
ship and Herewith permanent interest in
the country and share of political power
The restriction of the right of public as
sembly, writing in the press, the building
of fort ito dominate Johannesburg and
the Importation of war material by the
Kruger government are characterized by Mr..
Bryce as perfectly natural precautions,
and it is urged by him that any govern
ment that had escaped destruction as mar
rowly as did that of President Kruger in
December, 1895. would have done the like"
Mr.. Bryce thinks that the Kruger govern
ment made mistake in that reform meas
uTeS, at IedSl a DtlIeT administration, Ill re-
sponse to outlander requests, did not accom-
pany the defense preparations. The Boer
population of the Transvaal did not at the
time exceed $4,000, while the recent lmmi-
grants numbered 1901 OOO and nearly all OF
these immigrants were concentrated in the
mining district around Johannesburg. The
Jameson raid had a similarly bad effect
among the Beers throughout all South Az
rica and intensified item among the anti
British feeling which had almost expired at
the time of the raid.
But" says Mr.. Bryce
$50 far as one can ascertain from any
evidence yet produced, there is not the
slightest foundation for the allegation so
assiduously propagated in England that
there was any general conspiracy OF the
Colonial Dutch, or that there existed the
smallest risk OF any unprovoked attack
by them, or by the Free State, or by the
Transvaal itself, upon the power Of Eng
land" !
This, Mr.. Bryce points out, was the sit
uation in South Africa when the crisis
which developed into the pending war be-
came acute" He declares that under the
treaty of 1884 which fixed the relations Of
Great Britain and the Transvaal," Great
Britain had no right whatever to interfere
in the domestic affairs of the Transvaal |
English 'suzerainty' only referred to the
making of treaties. Irrespective of the
treaty Of 1884, England has the general
right to interfere in defense of her sub
jects when they are not well treated in a
foreign country, but Mr.. Bryce de-
clares:
That which caused the war was the dis
cussion of another matter altogether which
was admittedly not grievance for the re-
dress Of which Britain had any right to
interfere, and which, therefore, could not
possibly amount 10 casus belli This mat
ter was the length of time which should
elapse before the new Immigrants in the
Transvaal could be admitted to citizenship,
a matter which was entirely within the
discretion of the Transvaal legislature The
Beers made concessions, but the British
government used language which led the
Transvaal people to believe that they were
determined to force the Boer government to
comply with their demands, and they fol-
lowed up their dispatches by sending troops
from England to South Africa.
The Beers very naturally felt that if they
remained quiet till the British forces had
been raised TO strength they could not
hope to resist they would lose the only mil
itary advantage they possessed
They were In sore strait, and they took
the course which must have been expected
from them, and, indeed, the only course
which brave men, who were not going to {
make any further concessions, could have
taken, and the question whether the (out !
ander) grievances amounted to a casus
belli never came up at all The only casus {
beli has been the conduct of the two con- {
tending parties during a negotiation, the I
protested subject of which was in no sense {
casus belli." t
Mr. Bryce concludes his calm review OF {
he South African troubles with the obser- t
sation that the war will permanently es- t
range the British and Dutch, and that it f
nay possibly mean for Great Britain the I
ultimate loss of South Africa" s
Concerning ship Subsidies.
Boston Herald,
Those people who advocate subsidies to
American shipping are prone to quote the =
'ourse of Great Britain in her action in ]