The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1899-09-26
THE BRITISH ARGUMENT
In the Long Drawn Out Oontro-
versy With the Transvaal.
loMB QUESTIONS OF vERACITY.

IoMB QUESTIONS OF vGRAOITY.
Joseph Chamberlain Charges Trans
vRal Representatives with False
hood -SomeTranSvaal Omciais Favor
Demand Against sending Troops.
London, Sept 26.-The officials of
he foreign Office last evening gave out
he text OF the letter Of the secretary
Of state for the colonies, Mr. Cham
oerlain, to the British high commits
,ioner Sir Alfred Miner, dated Sept.
%. The British reply expresses re-
gret that her majesty's offer No. 8,
Of Sept s, had been refused. and says:
The object her majesty's govern
ment had In view in the recent negotia-
tions 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
lsed them in 1881. and which her ma
iesty intended to secure for them when
she granted privileges of self govern
hltlAA W Allt ais dui ANO NOllhAAAbAAn
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 it does after four months
of protraoted negotiations, themselves
the climax of Ave 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 u 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 a later dispatch"
In later communication. dated
Sept. %, the imperial government
takes up the charge of breach of faith
insinuated by Secretary of State Reitz,
Sept l6. which we cannot pass over
in silence" Mr. Chamberlain then
says: THE proposals made by the
South African republic in its letters
of Aug 19 and 20 were not induced by
suggestions given by the British agent
from the state attorney, as claimed
"On the contrary, the state attorney
sounded the British agent, both in
writing and in conversation, as to the
conditions on which the imperial gov
ernment 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
ticipated in making the proposals
THE imperial government also de-
nies that its telegram of Sept 8 sub
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. 19 containing an alternative
proposal identical with that which the
imperial government is said to have
substituted, and the communication
then proceeds as follows:
THE imperial government sees no
ground for misapprehension 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 II
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,
Gas 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 il unnecessary and make a point
] of denying that the government of the
d South African republic ever proposed
the same to the British agent"
A special dispatch from Pretoria
says that the members of the volks.
3 raad believing that the British notes
!, are intended to gain time for the con.
} centratlon of troops, urge the govern
Y 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 has
defenses are being erected In all the
! available approaches to the capital.
/. II is reported from Pretoria thai
!, Commandant General Joubert reckons
, on $4,000 Transvaal troops, 1900
d from the Orange Free State, 5000 from
z Cape Colony, 1000 from Natal anC
- 5000 Hollander, German and other vol
's unteers.