The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-11-10
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" question will engage the attention
OF the world
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because Of any demand we had made
It so happens at the moment the ulti-
matum was issued we had withdrawn our
demands and there were no demands be-
fore the Transvaal Government It was
because we had taken measures to In
crease the amount of our forces in South
Africa But if that had been done few
months sooner exactly the same result
would have taken place. The moment
you had shown signs of raising your force
to an equality with the force of South
Africa, that moment the ultimatum would
have been issued and war would have
begun.
1T is not, therefore, right to say that
there was not adequate military prepa-
aration. The evil dates farther back
1t dates TO those unfortunate arrange
ments in 1881 and 1884 by which we DELHI
erately permitted a community obviously
hostile to enjoy the unbounded, unlim-
tied right of accommodating munitions of
war against US. Year after year an &C
emulation of munitions was made which
could only be directed against US. Ham
pered by these arrangements it was i'm
possible that we should avoid the in
terval of trial and danger necessary to
intervene between the moment when war
was declared and the moment when our
forces could accept the contest and ap-
pear upon the field.
That interval has nearly passed. Our
troops are beginning to arrive. Foreign
nations have complimented us upon the
calmness with which we have received
the intelligence of occasional checks.
Whatever strategy there might be, we are
well aware that the beginning of our con-
flict with the Beers must be marked by
a retirement Of our troops from positions
they are not strong enough TO occupy.
1t is necessary that we should wait for
sufficient reinforcements. 1 do not at
tempt to forecast the future. l only say
that my faith in the British soldier is
unbounded, and 1 am deeply gratifed to
feel that he is in the vigorous. sagacious
hands of General Butler.
Regarding the future I will only dep
recate some very strange assertions that
1 see occasionally in the Continental press.
Only the other day l saw it asserted
not by chance writer, but by a man
who has been a member of the French
Government-that this war had for its OBJ
jects the qualification of the lust of
greedy lords who desired a partition
among themselves of the gold and dia-
monds of the Transvaal Now, I beg TO
assure this gentleman that her Majesty's
Cabinet have not had a farthing from the
Transvaal or from any other gold fields
There is the Yukon. about which there
is no contest. If there had been any
chance of our gaining advantages these
Yukon gold fields should have yielded
something; but l appeal to my friend,
Lord Hamilton, to know If the Cabinet
ever had farthing from her, Oaugh-
teri
II go further. England as a whole
would have had no advantage from the
possession of gold mines except as her
Government conferred the blessing of
good administration upon those engaged
in the industry. All industry breeds com
merce and all commerce has produced is
TO the advantage of England and all in
dustries and commerce flourish better un-
der her Government than any other
regime in the world. But that is the limit
of our interest.
What we desire is equal rights before
all men and all races and security for
our Fellow subjects and our empire. The
hour for asking by what means these
results can be obtained is not yet come.
but these are the objects and the only OBJ
jects we seek. We do not allow any other
consideration to cross our path. | have
seen it suggested-and it seems to me a
wild suggestion-that the other powers
will interfere with this country and In
some form or other dictate to hose who
are concerned in 1t as to what its upshot
had been. Don't let any man think it
is in that fashion the conflict will be con-
Guided. We shall have to carry it
through ourselves, and the interference
of anybody else will have no effect upon
it. (Cheers) In the first place, because
we would not accept that interference.
and in the second place because we are
convinced that there is no such idea in
the mind Of any government in the world.
within my recollection there have
been some five or six great wars involv-
ing in their close great territorial
modification, but, except as provided for
by treaties and except in the case of
third party ventured to interfere be-
tween the combatantS. In none of these
wars has any nation claimed a right to
demand what the issue of the contest or
It's terms should be. They have not
claimed that right because they cannot.
It is not IN accordance with international
law that they should possess it. There
fore such dreams should be set aside
Wherever we are victorious we shall
consult the vast interests committed to
our care Vast duties lie upon us to
perform and, taking council of the uni
form traditions Of our colonial Govern
ment and Of the moderation and theeoual
been our uniform practice to observe, |
do not doubt we shall so arrange that the
issue of this contest will confer good gov
eminent upon the area where 1t RACES
and give the security sorely needed
against the recurrence Of any such
exertion and for the restoration of peace
and civilization to that portion of the
Lord Salisbury resumed his seat amid
a tremendous ovation.