The Topeka state journal., 1902-06-03
of Peace Treaty Was a
Simple Matter.
Document Was at Once Started
to King Edward.
BEGAN ON MARCH 12.
Correspondence Which Led Up
to Closing the War.
DeWet Was First to Place His
Name on Document.

Pretoria, June 3.-The signing Of the
peace agreement was carried out with
the least possible ceremony Lord
kitchener and Lord Miner and Gen.
Dewet and others representing the Or
ange Free State and Gen. Schalk Burger
ana others Of the Transvaal govern
rnent quietly met in the dining room Of
the residence occupied by the Burgner
delegates ad joining Lord Kitchener
house. The document lay on taple
ready. Amid profound silence the Boer
leaders took a pen. in oraer or pre-
cedence and affixed their signatures.
thus surrendering the Independence OF
the country for which they had so gal
lantly struggled The document was
then entrusted to Col. Hamilton, Lord
Kitchener's military secretary and Capt
Marker, an aid de camp who left Pre-
toria at once to deliver it to King Ed
ward
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS-
London June IA parliamentary
paper gives the correspondence preced-
ing the peace agreement. From this It
appears that General Schalk-Burger,
acting president of the Transyaal, IN
formed Lord Kitchener on March II that
ne was prepared to make peace propos-
ais A month later the Boer delegates
submitted propositions. On April 13 the
war secretary, Mr- Brodrlek, refused
to entertain any proposition based on
the Independence of the republics Sub
seouentiy President Steyn of the orange
Free State and Generals Schalk-Burger
and B0tha declared that the surrender
of independence must be submitted TO
the burgers in the field The British
government expressed surprise at TINS
attitude but announced its willingness
TO accept the Beers surrender on the
same terms that Lord Kitchener had
previously offered General BOtha. and
To give facilities for a consultation OIL
the Boer commands On May II. Gen
eral Schalk-Burger and Mr.. Steyn in
formed Lord Kitchener that the burgers
assembled at Vrenening had empowered
q commission to negotiate peace terms
subject to ratification at Nrenenlng.
Lord Miner, Lord Kitchener and the
Boer commission met on May - Iha
latter offered to surrender the independ-
ence of the republics as regards foreign
relations; to surrender part of their
territory and retain government
under British supervision. These pro-
pOsals were forthwith rejected. The
same day Lord Miner, General SHUTS
and Judge HertZog drew up a form OF
agreement TO be submitted to the con-
ference at Nrenening for a yea or nay
vote. This was very similar to the final
agreement, and, with q few alterations,
was approved by MIR. Chamberlain, who,
in giving notice Of his approval, told
Lord Miner he must inform the Beers
that unless it was accepted within
fixed limit Of time the conference would
be considered ended and his majesty 5
e-DfS- --4AAIl4L NfOul0 4AIt DE DOAAAlQ III Sti1S
way by the present declarations. The
Beers asked to be allowed until Satur-
day night to give an answer and the
resist was seen in the termination Of
the war.
The last message of Lord Miner to
Mr. Chamberlain June l. after the sig
nature of the peace agreement, men
tions that Mr. Steyns name was omit
ted from the signatures because he was
too i'll to come to Pretoria, adding that
he had already taken his parole.
General Dewet signed first for the
Orange Free State delegates, because
Mr.. Steyn nominated him acting pres
ident" on retiring from the conference.
There was great rejoicing in all the
concentration camps on the news that
peace had been concluded. The occu-
pants assembled in the open spaces and
chanted psalms, the women weeping
with Joy.
Arrangements are now being made to
send representatives Of each unit of
the British army in South Africa to par
tIeipate in the coronation festivities in
London