The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-15

tion the best statement Of the Boer side OF
the South African question which has yet
appeared II is not prejudiced, or yituper-
alive. or unbalanced. It is a calm. earnest
summing up Of the situation from man
who. after careful observation. sympathizes
with the Beers in their present struggle.
OF course. others who have been quite as
careful in their observation, so far as can
be discovered. have come to a conclusion
directly opposite to that Of MIR. Hobson,
but no one can fail to gain something from
the perusal OF this dispsssionate statement
Of a very complex situation. The author
discusses the population Of the various
states Of South Africa. Dutch and English,
the personality OF various leaders, and
the general causes and effects Of the war.
Every chapter is interesting. and many
contain information which will be new 10
the American public
he throws down the gauntlet to certain
officials Of the British Government in the
very first chapter, almost on the first page.
This passage is so condensed a summary Of
his opinions in regard to these persons that
it is worth quoting at the outset:
South AtrlCl e 1TOYfINIalt ldfC OF elll'li-ts
and Tor a soiournCr 10 express any confident Iud--
mcnt upon the delicate relations between the
Colonial Government and the Imperial policy dur
ing the recent crisis Of public affairs would be
The pinnacle Of folly. But having occupied myself
al Cape Town chiefly in CanvassIng opinion on thl,
MATTER and having got. in conversation with diff
fe1ent members Of the Ministry and other political
lcadrrs. clear and outspoken judgments, J ven
ture 10 present a fairly representative summary OF
a situation which is not unlikely To mark the be-
ginning Of a serious constitutional struggle.
Nhcihe- the Colonial Secretary and the High
Commissioner were justified or not IN their Is
pousal Of the cause OF the Outlander. and IN the
use o. him to urge upon the Transvaal a sort Of
suzcrain1y neither set forth nor. in my Judgment,
implied in the Conventions, is not point 70 be
argued here. But it Is Of urgent importance thar
Englishmen should understand how sternly and
strongly the policy Of Downing Street was resent
ed by the elective Assembly Of what has hitherto
been held 10 be- and distinctly holds itself to be by
right, Substantially self-govcrning colony. Tie
Home Government and the High Commissioner are
felt TO have ignored and overridden the judgment
Of a strong Ministry. representing a people whose
commercial and political interests and expedients
entitle them to paramount consideration in the
settlement Of this Transvaal issue.
The whole Of this first chapter goes to
prove that Premier Schreiner and his
Ministers understood the condition Of af-
fairs in South Africa far better than the
Colonial Officer. and that il their advice
had been taken there would have been no
war The author quotes the concluding
words OF General Buffers speech at era
Jamestown:
What south Africa needs is rest and not sur
Iicsl operation.
It is his opinion that friendly represen-
tations from Cape Colony were more ef-
fective with Kruger and his burghers
than any threats which the British Gov
eminent could make, and that. with the
gradual disappearance Of the conservative !
element in Dutch politics. matters would
have been adjusted by natural methods.
He also scores Sir Alfred Miner for fall
ing 10 understand the Boer character, and
making various diplomatic blunders Mr.
Hobson's opinion Of this official is through
out unfavorsble, and he argues that the
tRctlessness OF the Chamberlain-Miln
methods was at the bottom Of the whole |
trouble which eliminated IN Dom Paul's
ul,imatum. He is shrewd enough 10 let |
Rhodes alone for the most part, probably I
recognizing the fact that that remarkable /
character is rather too big man TO be /
summed up in q thumb-nail sketch; but ]
a remark which was made in connection z
with the discussion Of Miners diplomacy,
by one Of the Cape Ministers is siguifi- I
cant. The author says:
Tie Cape Ministers, divided IN their estimate Of
the tsctlessness Of the Chsmberlaiu-Nilner meth
Cd. Sir A. Nilner, they said. utterly failed 90
understand the Boer character. and could not get
81 any point into sympathetic touch with H. This
vss made manifest by the proceedings at Bloom
fouteiu. How differently" one q them put IL 10
me. would Rhodes have handled the business IN
The DAYS before the Raid had msde him an inn
possible negotiator, Instead Of b0mhsrdiug The
old man with display Of offcialisu, and seek /
ing 20 wrest from him admissions by diut 81
academic argument Rhodes would have said 20
his attaches: Nov, all yog fellows Clelr cut .
and then be would have sat down by tie ere,
lighting cigarettes. while the old nFn smoked bis
long pipe: and they would have talked over things
for q couple Of days. as TO get 10 really under
stand one another before entering on any formal
sttcIupt at settlement" Sir A. Miners method
wss 90 treat Kruger a. = ninetegntheentury up-to-
date European diplomatist, instead Of slow
thinking. suspicious, seyentceuth-ceutufy Puritan
farmer. and a conference on these lines was fore
doomed 10 failure
Altogether Mr.. Hobson does not believe
in government from Downing Street for
any colony OF The British Crown.
He next sketches the history and con
dition Of johannesburg and somewhat eau
tiousiy suggests that the Outlanders for
whose rights the British Government is
supposed 10 be fighting are In reality not
Britous at all but Hebrews. Il is obvious
that he wishes 10 avoid any criticism Of
his statements on this point by those who
might accuse him OF 'Judenhetze, and Il
Is also evident that he is quite sincere in
his belief that the Jew is the real dis
turbing cause among the British popula-
ton. This point. however, he hardly
proves. II NAV be true-and probably is
that a large proportion Of the capitalists
Of Johannesburg belong TO the Hebrew
race: the same might be said Of a good
many other cities in various parts OF the
world, notably New York; but that does
not prove that their cause is not the cause
OF British civilization. for all that. The
Jew has been a trader in every country on
the face OF the earth; and among civilized
nations he has done much to promote
prosperity OF which others reaped the
benefits He certainly does not retard the
material progress Of any large city, and
generally Identifies himself with the bust
ness interests Of the community so that
be takes an important part On an public
affairs and is not by any means an alien
element. II is hard to see. therefore. Low
Mr.. Hchson has much Of q case when he
attempts TO show that johannesburg is not
entitled 70 consideration as a British town
because il happens TO be largely financed
by Jews.
The city IS not very old. ard al present
appears TO be much in The condition Of
san Francisco in the days when Jack
Hamlin iourished there. Il is not strange.
as the author plainly intimates that the
peaceful and Quiet-loving Bocr does not
admire the civilization which he sees dis
played there. but that. again. does not
materially affect the right and wrong
II the question. When Mr.. Hobson says
that in time. all the concessions asked
FOR by the people Of this mining city and
their sympathizors might have been
granted. he fails TO take into consideration
the fact that in such community time
is OF value. To the Boer it might not
make much TfWorrrar u-hrfhe~ q law MAS