The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-27

Clash I'm the TransvaaI Nav
Yet Re Avoided.
BIRMINGHAM, England, June 2s-
Joseph Chamberlain, secretary of state
Tor the colonies, addressing the Unionists
or this city this evening, reviewed care
fully the Transvaal question Tn +ba
course of his speech he said that owing
10 the enormous military preparations of
the government of the South African re-
public, Great Britain had been compelled
to increase the British garrison in Cana
Colony and Natal, entailing an additional
expenditure Of e50OOOG annually.
If the reforms which Lord Ripon pro-
posed In 1894 had been accepted said the
minister, there would have been no raid
and no crisis at the present time. But the
raid tied the hands of the government.
and prevented the application of pres.
sure
Mr.. Chamberlain said the government
had tried to establish friendly relations
with President Kruger, but all advances
mad been received with contempt He then
proceeded to euloglze Sir Alfred Miner.
governor of Cape Colony and British high
commissioner for South Africa The gov
ernment accepted full responsibility for
the action of that official As for the
counter proposals of Mr.. Kruger they
did not constitute even a fair installment
of reform. After denouncing in the
strongest terms the attitude and action.
of the Beers, Mr.. Chamberlain, with
great deliberation and emphasis, added:
'"The TransvaaPs enormous secret sery-
ice funds has nrOcnred frian6c nd 4
vocates In every country. The way the
British subject Is treated is not only a
! menace to them all, but interferes with
our prestige among the natives, who now
| regard the Beers and not the British as
the paramount power. Before violating
the London convention the Transvaal is
fiagrantly violating that equality the con.
vention was designed to accomplish. Its
misgovernment is a fostering sore, pois-
| oning the whole atmosphere of South
Africa. The Dutch in Cape Colony ard
| Natal would be in the happiest condition
| but so long as the disease of hatred and
| suspicion prevails in the Transvaal it is
impossible to stop the contagion.
-Four times nee independence was
granted we hat been on the verge OF
war with the Transvaal 1t is erroneous
to say the British government wants war,
but 1t is equally erroneous to say that
| the government will draw back now that
1t has put its hands to the plow.
1--WE hope the efforts that are now be-
ing made will lead to an amicable ar
| rangement, for Great British only de-
sires justice, but there comes time when
| patience can hardly be distinguished from
weakness, and when moral pressure be-
comes a farce, that cannot be continued
without loss of self-respect. I trust that
time may never come in this instance, but
| if it does Britons will insist upon the
means to find result essential to the
peace of South Africa"
| The speech was warmly applauded.
In reply to vote of thanks, Mr.. Cham
berlain said he felt strengthened and en-
| couraged by their confidence and support
| He had spoken from the heart, because
| he believed they had reached a critical
| turning point in the history of tho en-
pire, and that the whole world was
watching to see how they would issue
| from the difficulty.
1T is my belief" he said, in closing,
that the country will show itself not
unworthy of its glorious history and
| traditions"