The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-09-26
THR BRITISH ARGUMENT
In the Long Drawn Out Contro-
yersy With the Transvaal.
SOME QUESTIONS OF vERAoITY.

Joseph Cham berlain Charges Trans
vaal Representatives with False
Observation-Disclosures Omcials Favor
q Demand Against Sending Troops.
Londan, Sept. 26.-The officials Of
the foreign Office last evening gave out
the text Of the letter Of the secretary
of state for the colonies. Mr.. Cham
berlain, to the British high commits
sioner, Sir Alfred Miner, dated Sept.
az. The British reply expresses re-
greet that her majesty's offer No. g.,
Of Sept. 8, had been refused, and says:
"Ths object her majesty's govern
ment had In view In the recent negotia-
tons has been stated In manner
which cannot admit Of misapprehen-
sion, viz, to obtain such substantial
and immediate representation for the
outlanders as will enable them to Sc
cure for themselves that fair and just
treatment which was formally prom
Used them in 1881, and which her ma
jesty intended to secure for them when
she granted privileges of self govern
ment to the Transvaal. No conditions
less comprehensive than those con-
tanned in the telegram Of Sept. can
be relied on to effect this object. The
refusal of the South African govern
ment to entertain the offer thus made.
coming as 1t does after four months
of protraeted negotiations, themselves
the climax Of five years Of extended
agitation, makes 1t useless to further
pursue the discussion on the lines
hitherto followed, and the imperial
government Is now compelled to con-
slider the situation afresh and formu-
late its own proposals for final set
tlement of the issues which have been
created In South Africa by the policy
constantly followed for many years by
the government of South Africa. They
will communicate the result Of their
deliberations in later dispatch"
In later communication, dated
Sept. 20, the imperial government
takes up the charge Of breach of faith
hsinuated by Secretary Of State Reitz,
Sept. 16. (which we cannot pass over
in silence" Mr.. Chamberlain then
says: 1.-THE proposals made by the
South African republic in its letters
Of Aug. 10 and 20 were not induced by
suggestions given by the British agent
from the state attorney. as claimed.
ION the contrary, the state attorney
sounded the British agent, both in
writing and in conversation, as to the
conditions on which the imperial gov
eminent would waive the invitation to
joint inquiry, and the result of these
communications was the proposals
made by the South African govern
ment in these letters. 1t Is impossible
that the South African government
could have had any doubt as to the
imperial governments answer to the
conditions named, and my reply was
actually the same as the British agent
had foreshadowed to the state attor-
ney, and which, therefore, the South
African government must have an
tlcipated in making the proposals.
"The imperial government also de-
MES that its telegram Of Sept. SUBJ
stituted an entirely new proposal for
the invitation to the joint commission
Of inquiry"
The imperial government then
quotes the dispatch from South Africa
Of Aug. 10 containing an alternative
proposal Identical with that which the
imperial government is said to have
substituted, and the communication
then proceeds as follows:
1.-THE imperial government sees no
ground for Misrepresentation on the
part Of the South African republic as
to its answer regarding non-interfer-
ence and suzerainty, as the imperial
government had already stated that 1t
would not press for the appointment
Of . high joint commission of inquiry,
In view Of the fact that such an in
quiry would, in the opinion of the
government of the South African re-
public, prejudice the right of full in
dependence repeatedly recognized by
the imperial government.
"As to the use of the English Ian
guage in the volksraad, the imperial
government regards this as reasonable
and is astonished that the government
Of the South African republic should
deem it unnecessary and make point
of denying that the government of the
South African republic ever proposed
the same to the British agent"
A special dispatch from Pretoria
says that the members of the volks-
raad, believing that the British notes
are intended to gain time for the con-
centration Of troops. urge the govern
ment to adjourn the raad Immediately
and to send Great Britain a note de-
claring that further mobilization will
be regarded as an unfriendly act.
Trenches, earthworks and sand bag
defenses are being erected in all the
available approaches to the capital.
1t is reported from Pretoria that
Commandant General Joubert reckons
on $4,000 Transvaal troops, 10000
from the Orange Free State, 5000 from
Cape Colony, 1000 from Natal and
5000 Hollander, German and other VOL
uufaoro