The sun., 1903-07-19
STRICT RULE NOW FOR BOERS.
BRITAIN'S CONCTLTATTON POLICY
4 FAILE RE.

Special cable Despatch 10 THE Sun.

Special Gable Despatch 10 THE Sun.
LONDON, July 1S.-The announcement
in Parliament this week Of future military
arrangements for South Africa, coupled
with Gen. Louis Botha's manifesto de-
nouncing the present Chamberlain-Milne
system Of government there as despotic,
marks o new stage in handling England's
greatest colonial problem
There is no doubt the intention is to gov
ern the Transvaal as n crown colony in the
strictest sense Of the term. that is to say,
solely by officials appointed from England,
backed by large permanent military
garrison. The tentative schemes men
toned by Colonial Secretary Chamberlain.
during his South African tour, Of advisory
councils on which elected Boer delegates
would sit have been abandoned. This
adoption of strict officialism marks the
practical failure of the so-caled conciia-
ton tactics in the resettlement of the coun-
try.
1t is significant that Secretary Of State for
War Brodrick. in his military statement.
made the point that South Africa would be
convenient territory for reinforcing the
army in India in case Of emergency, and
that it would afford suitable grounds for
the health and training of troops for the
class OF work the Indian army might be
called on to do.
OF the 25,OOO British regular troops who
will henceforth constitute the military
peace footing In South Africa, an unusual
proportion will be of garrison regiments,
that is to say, resnlisted men, most Of whom
are married and for whom and their families
a large sum Of money will he spent in pre-
pairing house accommodations. They are
selected for a political purpose, in the hope
that they will become permanent loyalist
population and will help to counterbalance
the deep distr,ist the Beers have Of the
British Government, which, it il notorious,
has not been overcome. The Government
has decided TO pay s7,5OO,OOO yearly as an
additional cost for this garrison, that is to
say. that much more than what it would
be il the same number of troops were left
in England
The necessity for this outlay and the
open abandonment Of even an experiment
al elective autonomy have revived the
discussion Of the personality and policy
of Lord Miner, Governor of the Transvaal
and Orange River colonies and High Com
missioner of South Africa. Even from the
Conservative press there have been fire.
quent protests against his filing responsible
places, such as resident m gistracies and
repatriation commssionerships. by young
Oxford graduates without the experience Of
men of affairs. Even the Jingo Daily Mail
has taken this standpoint Its Johannes
burg correspondent maintains that Lord
Miners selection Of officeholders has no
alienated the generality Of the British
community there that everyone expresses
the hope that he will not return from his
coming holiday in Europe.
The letter of the former Boer Comman-
der-in- Chief Gen. Louis Botha, in which he
described Colonial Secretary Chamberlain's g
regime in South Africa as barren record
of promises that have not been fulfilled.
has angeEed a section of the Conservative
press of England and the leading Govern
ment organ, the Standard, calls for his
deportation from South Africa. and says
he should be made to live abroad like Mr.
Kruger
The Continental press gives prominence
to Gen Botha's manifesto. which 1t regards
as jllstifying the profound disbelief in Mr.
Chamberlain's entire South African policy
The Hdndelsbidd the leading paper Of
Amsterdam, regards Cen Botha's atti-
tude az of the deepest Importance. IL
recalls the fact that he was the first to
assume a strictly loyal attitude after the
Vereeniging peace treaty. He risked HIS
own popularity by counselling his COM
patriots to stand by the new Government.
When Gen Christian De Wet closed his
fists in his pockets, Gen, Botha accepted
the situation philosophicaly. Now he ap-
pears with protests that prove that even
the most modest of the Beers expectations
have not been fulfilled
The truth and deliberateness his
charges Of the narrowness and lack Of
understanding shown by Lord Miners
Government are held to be attested by the
admission that the Boer farmers are not
wasting their time in agitation, but are
devoting all their attention TO rebuilding
their homes and repairing their farms
What he objects to is autocratic despotism
even il honest, where formerly white men
had self government.
Gen Botha will sail for Europe next
week. The nature Of his mission is mat
ter Of conjecture, but it is reported and
credited that he will stand as candidate
for the English Parliament as Liberal,
in hope OF maintaining his countrymens
claims from a place where he can reach
the greatest audience--the floor of the
House of Commons.