BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-06-05
sArIJUAN, JUNO 5
Peace In Africa.


That the Vereeniging negotiations
have resulted in peace may be fairly
inferred from the ondon dispatches
last Saturday, for it is altogether
unlikely that the British cabinet
would have allowed that i1npressi on to
be disseminated without a solid foul-
dation in fact. 1t is, at least, definitely
known that Botha, De Wet and
other leaders will not continre the
fight and without their sympathizers
the remaining resistance would be
weakened into insignifcance. 1t may
be taken for granted, therefore, that
the bitter struggle which has been 60
ing on without interruption since Oct
9, 1900, is now on the record Of historic
wars 1t is great news for England
for South Africa, and for the world
wide political interests which have been
keen to observe and sensitive to res
pond to the alternating fortunes of the
conflict. The Boer farmers, of as tough
Calibre of resistance as has ever been
encountered, have at last been worn
out by superior number at the steady
attrition of a well-conceived plan. Lord
Kitchener has repeated, with variations
that have proved adequate. the strategy
and tactics that under less difficult con
ditions were successful in the Soudan
From the day on which Kruger is
sued his ultimatum British, American
and continental opinion manifested an
extraordinary interest in the conflict
1t is safe to say that no foreign war OF
the nineteenth century evoked such H.
tense and prolonged discussion in the
American press and called for such
frequent notice in congress. The op-
posed, issues were argued in Our pollt
ical campaigns, in our social gatherings
and in thousands of our homes On
one side they ap2ea1ed to Our rspub-
lican feeling in its historic distr1st Of
monarchy and its spontaneous sympathy
for the under dog; on the other they
raised cautious doubts newly sprung
from the responsi 5ilities of our eXpan-
sion. Never were argument and emo
tion more mixed and nluddled. But if
we were confused, the continent Of
Europe, outside the chancellerieS, Vas
maddeded A whole bedlam OF stored
up hatred as let loose. Great Britain
was loathed despised and denounced
with an intensity OF feeling almost with
out parallel. Statesmen were reticen.
or moderate from prudence, but they
held the reins Of popular passion wit
a loose hand Even the liberal minor
ity, including scholars like Mommsen,
viewed the British course as the be-
trayal of historic political trust, and
erased the name Of England from the
list of free nations.
What were the vital issues for the
British government and the great majo-
rity of British subjects? 1t IS to be believ.
ed they were clearly defined from the
first and thatthe war was undertaken in
a spirit of self-preservation rather than
aggression. The British, cabinet, apart
from any ambitions Of Mr. Chamber
lain Or any condoning of Mr.. Rhodes
and the Raid, knew perfectly that the
struggle was for British supremacy in
South Africa, and that the failure to
secure it meant the loss of the Cape
route, the imminent peril of India, tn :
loss of colonial confidence and the dis
memberment of the empire. > These
were all assured or lost in the out
come. We did not see this clearly, for
most of us were too busy sympathizing
with a brave republic about whose real
political character we did not inquire.
It occurred to few of us that Kruger
was wearing George the Thirds shoes.
But Lord Salisbury and his cabinet, ex-
pressing the universal British feeling
that Mr. Gladstone's Majuba surrender
had been a mistake, were resolved TO
make repetition of the mistake i'm
possible. The colonies agreed with
them and proved their sincerity by the
despatch of contingents. They saw as
clearly as Downing Street that the IS
sue was closely vital and immensely
calamitous Ia its possibilities. and the
feeling their sympathy evoked has been
the invisible flame on the British side
during most of the struggle. ThsyI
saw their own hopes nenaced by the
threatened boss of imperial prestige.
Only clear understanding of the race
feeling and the race destiny involved
can fit one to discuss the war. The
Raid, the OutIanders grievance, Mr..
Rhodes schemes and Mr. Kruger's OBJ
stinacy these were episodes, though
important; the struggle would have
come in due course without them.
Enough had occ arred before to point
to an irreconcilabls conflict.
What does peace, based on the loss
of Boer independence, mean for Great
Britain Without doub. she bec3nesl
thereby the dominant power ii South
Africa. It means, too. probably, that
her acquisition Of foreign territory viii
ease for many years to come. It I
MARKS the f44rnir4 i31iiif where coIrfsi I