Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1902-04-12


scale into Matabeleland. About the
same time President Kruger sent up-a
Transvaal consul to reside at the court
Of King L~obengula. 1t was evident
that, unless Mr.. Rhodes moved quick
ly, he would find himself forestalled.
Rhodes moved more quickly than did
Kruger. Before the Boer president
knew what was really happening
Rhodes had signed a treaty with Lo-
bengula, in which the African chief de-
clared hat should he at any time de-
eide to place. his. country under any
foreign state the offer should first be
made to Great Britain. Lobengula con-
ceded to Rhodes and his associates the
sole right to search for minerals in the
region I'm which the chief ruled. In re-
turn Lobengula was to receive $500 In
cash every month and a present OF
200 rifles and 100, 600 rounds of car
tridges, together with a steamboat to
patrol the Zambesi river.
Rhodes then organized in London the
British Chartered South Africa com
pany, with n capital Of IS, 000, 900, and
this company began the work OF colo
nizing the vast territory, TO which the
name OF Rhodesia was given.
In the meantime Cecil Rhodes, in
1890, became prime minister of Cape
Colony, at that time being 81 years old.
Fer five years Rhodes strove to effect
a ~uniication of the Dutch and British
sections of the south African popula-
ton, and but for the Jameson raid the
end might possibly have been attained
by p~eaceable means. 1t is certain that
in 1890 Rhodes believed that q confed-
GRAFTON of the states OF South Africa
might be brought about without a re-
sort 10 violence.
Then came the Jameson raid, the
forerunner OF the Boer-British war. Mr..
Rhodes biographer, Hensman, does
not attempt to deny that Rhodes was
to q large extent responsible for this
raid.
The Jameson raid was an attempt 10
secure by force the redress of the
grievances complained Of by the Eng
lish residents OF johannesburg from
President Kruger. 1t was to redress
these grievances that the reform COM
mittee was formed at johannesburg.
Kruger, it is known to history, reject
ed the petitions of the reform commit
tee.
Then The murmurs Of discomfort and
anger in johannesburg began to grow
in volume, and ii was at this time that
an appeal to arms, If every other
means should fail, was first thought
Of. Believing that nothing in the way
of solid concessions would ever be
wrung from the Transvaal govern
ment by the u~itlandGrS through pacific
means, Mr.. Rhodes began to sketch
a plan Of campaign, which ultimately
terminated in the disastrous raid. With
his advice and assistance, arms and
ammunition were struggled into Jo-
hannesburg, while large reserves were
stored in The De Beers mines at Kim
berley. He seems to have thought that
the moment the whole white male pop
ulation of the rand flew TO arms and
suddenly menaced the capital the
Transvaal government woul ploNe
amenable to reason, and substantial
concessions would be forced from the
executive.
A deadlock getween Cecil Rhodes and
the reform committee delayed the up
rising at Johannesburg for weeks.
Rhodes insisted the uit.anderS should
moist the British flag, while the com
mittee proposed to fight Kruger under
his own flag. The deadlock proved
fatal. for Kruger got news of the pro-
posed uprising n was ready to
meet 1t.
Jameson invaded the Transvaal with
4 500 men, poorly equipped, on Deem
Der %. 1895. on receiving information
that the raid had begun, Rhodes tele-
graphed to Jameson: ION no account
whatever must 0 move. most
strongly object to such a course The
telegram, however, could not be trans
mitted, inasmuch as jameson cut the
wires. 1t must, at the same time, be
admitted that, with the exception OK
the abortive attempt TO send his tele-
gram, Rhodes, for three days after
learning OF the raid, declined TO move a
finger to arrest Jameson's march, or
TO ~repudiate him and his actions IN
any way.
After the Jameson raid Cecil Rhodes
devoted his attention TO he develop
ment Of Rhodesia and the construc-
ton OF the Cape to Cairo railroad. Tn
capital of the British South African
company was increased to $4,000 600
Rhodes, after a personal interview
with the kaiser, secured a concession to
run the Cape to Cairo railroad through
German East Africa. The mineral re-
sources Of Rhodesia were explored and
the colony was showing a degree OF
progress until the Boer- British wal
paralyzed further operations.