Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-03
FIRST MOVE BY BOERS
Negotiation OF Peace in South
Africa First Began in
March.
Beers First Suggested Desire
to Bring the War to An
End.
England Insisted on Surrender
OF independence as a Pre-
liminary Condition.

critical examination OF the TERMS vi
peace.
Every British flag is flying and every
English face is beaming with JOY ala
relief over the close of the war. which
has cost S1,115,0 100000 and $1,000 lives.
Kitchener's name is cheered in the
streets; battalions of Hooligans are
blowing penny trumpets and waving
flags. and improvised choruses of men.
women and children are parading the
streets and singing Rule. Britannia
The yagaries and excuses of Mafeking
night were repeated last night, and
there was bedlam. singing, borseplay
and public rejoicing in the metropolis.
The terms are so magnanimous that
fault with them. Such criticism as was
heard among the members was based
upon the extraordinary leniency shown
by the government and the apparent
lack of safeguards against reopening
the military operations after the re-
lease OIL prisoners.
The compromise on the language
question is also regarded by the agrees
sive unionists as a source of future dis
turbance. There is much comment up
on the official recognition of the repre-
sentatiyes of the South African Re-
public and the Orange Free State. In
the first article of the agreement an ex-
ception was offered to this revival of
the dignity of the two prescribed and
wandering governments, which was not
without utility, since 1t enabled kitch-
ener and Miner to remand the Cape
and Natal rebels to the rulings of their
own governments. Chamberlain's proc
lamation of last September has been
simply ignored, since no Boer leader
can be condemned to exile or deprived
of property.
Kruger is not mentioned in the agree
ment, but apparently he will not be liza
BILE under the fourth article in any pro-
ceedings, civil or criminal, If he returns
to Pretoria. The official correspondence
respecting the terms of surrender is ex-
ceedingly interesting.
The Beers were the first to ask for
peace. The final treaty was drawn up
by Lord Miner General SHUTS and
Judge Hertzog. These facts were made
public by an official parliamentary pa
per issued last evening, giving the his
tory of the final negotiations for peace.
From this it appears that the Beers
We're first induced to make overtures
after reading the correspondence be-
tween Great Britain and the Neither
lands government.
General Schalkburger, acting presi-
dent of the Transvaal, made the first
peace overtures on March II. On that
cate he informed Lord Kitchener that
he was prepared to make peace propo-
sails. Lord Kitchener at once arranged
meeting, and on March 23 President
Schalkburger, General Louis Botha and
Secretary Reitz arrived at Pretoria on
special train provided by Lord kitch-
ener.
After two hours conference with
Lord Kitchener the Transvaal officials
proceeded to Klerksdorp, where they
sought to meet President Steyn and
Generals Dewet and Delarey of the Or
ange Free State. Mounted messengers
We're at once sent out and a meeting be-
tween the Transvaal and Free State
officials was finally arranged.
After preliminary communications
the leaders met at Pretoria on April IL
and requested that the following be
sent to the British government:
"The Boer representatives wish to lay
before his majesty's government that
they have an earnest desire for peace.
They have, consequently, decided to
ask the British government to end hos
tar N
which, In their opinion, all future war
between them and the British govern
ment in South Africa will be prevented.
They consider that this object may be
attained by providing for the following
points:
First, the franchise; second, equal
rights for the Dutch and English in
languages in educational matters; third
q customs union; four, dismantling of
all forts in the Transvaal and Orange
River Colony; fifth, postal, telegraph
and railway union; sixth arbitration of
future differences, and only subjects of
the parties to be the arbitrators; and,
seventh, mutual amnesty. But If these
terms are not satisfactory they desire
to know what terms the British govern
ment would give them in order 10 Sc
cure the end they all desire"
In forwarding this telegram Lord
Kitchener said:
II have assured them that his mai
estys government will not accept any
proposals which would maintain the in
dependence of the republics, as this
would DO, and that they must expect a
refusal"
ut n,'s.
plain intimation, backed by telegram
from the secretary of state for war, dis
patched from London on April 10, stat
ing that the British government could
not entertain any proposals based on
the continued independence of the for
mer republics which had been formally
annexed to the British crown, Mr.
Steyn, on meeting General Kitchener on
April ID, Immediately, as the leading
spokesman of the Boer delegates, took
the line that while the Boer government
were competent to make peace they
were not competent to surrender the in
dependence of their country: only the
people could do this, the people, as he
explained, meaning the burghers still
in the field.
MI Steyn added that If he were to
suggest anything involving the aban-
donment of independence 1t would be a
betrayal of trust. Mr.. Schalk Burger
and General Botha took precisely the
same line.
AS no progress could be made the
meeting was adjourned by mutual con-
sent until the afternoon. The Boer rep
resentatives then suggested an armis-