Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-10-20
Sir William Vernon Harcour'
Roundly Scores Mr.. Joseph
Chamberlain.

~JS'1 NAo ~ PASPoA w PAOV0 oe>OA
tional means for military service. She
has, therefore, thought it right to COM
municate to the house that her majesty
is, by proclamation, about to order the
embodiment of the militia and to call
out the military reserve force, or such
part thereof as her majesty may think
necessary, for permanent service.
Chamberlain Scored by Haroourt.
Sir William Vernon Harcourt, former
official leader of the Liberal party, fol-
lowing several minor speeches for and
against the government, said it was
the duty of the house to support the gov
ernment in maintaining the integrity
of the do1ninions of the queen, but that
they had right to speak of the policy
of the government in an altogether diff
ferent tone.
He went on to justify the opposition's
criticism of the conduct of the negotia-
tians prior to the receipt of the ulti-
matum, declaring his belief that there
were salient circumstances in the trans
action which
Did Not Tend to . Peaceable Solution.
"Although do not charge the gov
ernment," said Sir William, with de-
liberately avoiding a peaceable solu-
tion, in my opinion there is no justifica-
tion for saying that there has been
criminal obstinacy on the part of the
Transvaal. Step by step, it will be
found, on wise advice from the Orange
Free State and the government of Cape
Colony, the Transvaal, until the door
was shut, yielded and was continuing
to yield to our pressure"
He then proceeded to contrast Mr..
hamberlain's previous utterances with
his present attitude and asserted that
there was absolutely no need to reject
the Transvaal's offer of Aug. S. The
language used by Mr.. Chamberlain;
just after that offer was made and
when negotiations had reached most
promising point, could not be consid-
cred tending to peaceable settlement.
suzerainty Dropped in 1884.
Referring to the final breach, Sir
William said:
"On Sept. 6, the Transvaal sent a
dispatch pressing for appointment of a
joint commission to consider their offer
on condition that suzerainty be dropped.
Everybody is now convinced that suzer-
ainty was dropped in 1884. Loud min
isterial protests.] At any rate success
sive secretaries of state were of that
opinion"
Mr.. Chamberlain emphatically dis
sented.
Sir William, resuming, went on to
remark that suzerainty was only for
mally announced to President Kruger
by Mr.. Chamberlain in 1899. He com.
mented upon the extraordinary delay
in sending the final proposals of Great
Britain"
..The British nation" he exclaimed,
''has right to know what the pro-
posals of the government are. The
government has no right to involve the
nation in war in the dark"
Probably Preo.utio nary.
The calling out of the militia and the
military reserves has occasioned wide-
spread wonderment. Old stories of
preparations against continental COM
binations are revived. It is freely ru-
mored that the government. is deter
mined to demonstrate to Europe that
the British army is not a negative
quantity.
Probably both the attitude of Europe
and that Of the natives in South Africa
have something to do with this move
ment, and the lavish display of force is
intended, doubtless, not only to check
the i'll will apparent on both sides of
the Rhine and beyond the Vistula, but
also to guard against the "black PERIL
According to the statistics published
this year, the militia. including the per-
manent staff and the militia reserve,
numbers 152 ,493.
It is not believed that the militia are
10 be sent to South Africa Presum-
ably they will rephnish the denuded
British garrison towns and thus permit
the government to send to the Cape all
the regulars rendered necessary by de.
velopments in South Africa.