The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1902-02-19
DUTCH PEACE PLAN FAILED
Great Britain to Negotiate Only With
Beers in the Field.
WILL NOT ACCEPT INTERVENTION
The Answer Of the British Foreign secre
tary to the Dutch Prime Minister
Skeptical Of the Authority of the Boe1
, Delegates to Make Proposals of Peacs
Mature of Hollands Note.


Delegates to Make Proposals of Peace
Mature of Hollands Note.
London.-The British Government re.
piled to DR.. Kuyper. the Dutch Pre-
mier, in relation to the Dutch Govern
ment's proposals for bringing about
peace in South Africa. that If the
Beers in the field desire to negotiate
for peace, negotiations can be entered
into, but only in South Africa. The
British Government adheres to its in.
tention not to accept the intervention
of any foreign Power.
TIE British Government acknowledg'
ed the humanitarian feelings which
had prompted the Dutch Government
to make its proposal, but declined to
comply with the request, on the ground
that there was no assurance that the
Boer delegates In Holland had author.
ity to act.
The reply of the Marquis of Lans-
downe to the Dutch Government con.
cludes as follows:
I'm these circumstances this Govern
ment has decided that If the Boer lead
ers desire to'enter into negotiations for
the purpose of bringing the war to an
end these negotiations must take place
not in Europe, but in South Africa. 1t
should be borne in mind that if dele
gates are to occupy time in visiting
South Africa, in consulting with the
Boer leaders in the field and in return
ing to Europe for the purpose Of max.
ing known the results Of their errand,
a period Of at least three months must
elapse, during which hostilities would
be prolonged and much human suffer.
ing perhaps needlessly occasioned."
The correspondence between the
Netherlands Government and the Brit
ish Foreign Office opens with memoir
from Baron Gerfcke Van Herrwijnen,
the Dutch Minister in London, to the
effect that the Government of Queen
Wilhelmina was considering the excep.
tional circumstances by which one bel
ligerent was prevented from communi-
eating directly with the other, which,
it was considered, partly accounted for
the prolongation of the war still rag
ing. as it appears, without cause and
without end.
1t was exceptional for one beliigerent
to be completely separated from the
rest Of the world. Their representa-
tives in Europe were deprived of COM
murication with their generals in the
field. Thus the Boer authorities who
ought to negotiate were divided into
two sections and deprived of.the means
of celebrating together. 1t was evi.
dent that the delegates in Europe could
do nothing, because they were ignorant
Of the state Of affairs In South Africa.
and the Beers in the field were obliged
to refrain from taking steps because
they did not know the state of affairs
in Europe.
Moreover. the delegates in Europe
were bound by their letters Of credence
drawn up in South Africa in March,
1900, whereby they were bound so
strictly to the independence Of the two
republics that they would not be per-
mitted to accept even the status quo
ante bellum if mode of settling dis
putes which might arise were not laid
down before the delegates and the gen.
erals at the same time.
The question therefore arose whether
q neutral could not offer it's good
Offices in order, at least, to render ne
gotiations possible. It thus became i'm
portant to ascertain whether it was
agreeable to Great Britain to use the
offices of a neutral if such were con-
fined to the task Of placing in commu-
nication negotiators to be appointed by
the two parties. The Government Of
Queen Wilhelmina might be conSid-
cred as indicated for the performance
OF this task, seeing that the Boer dele.
gates on Netherlands territory were ac-
credited to that Government only.
IF the British Government agreed to
that proposal the Queens Government
would have to inquire whether the
Boer delegates were willing to proceed
to South Africa and deliberate with
their leaders .on the spot, returning to
Europe after a fixed stay Of, say. a
fortnight armed with adequate and full
powers providing for all eventualities
and authorizing them to conclude q
treaty of peace which would be abso-
lutely binding on the Beers in Europe
and South Africa.
In the event Of the British Govern
ment consenting it would be necessary
for England to hand to the Neither
lands Government three safe conducts
permitting the delegates to proceed
freely to South Africa, to remain there
freely for the time agreed upon and to
return freely.