MR CHAMBERLAIN AT PRETORIA.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 11478, 10 January 1903, Page 7

MR CHAMBERLAIN AT PRETORIA.

AN IMPERIAL SPEECH

-AtUTAIN'S STRENUOUS AND CON CLLIATORi POLICY.

A COMPENSATION SCHEME

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received January 9th, 8.21 a.m.)

CAPETOWN, January 8.

At the banquet given at Pretoria in his honour, Mr Chamberlain delivered a condilatory, but strenuous, speech on the lines of the last speech that he delivered m the House of Commons in the'debate on the Sou-u African vote of eight mi-ions, on November sth, prior to his departure for South Africa. He reiterated the sentimenta that he thee expressed, outlining the policy that Qrt&i Britain had adopted and intended to con tinue, dealing especially with tl_\ prospect* of conciliation. While, however, in his speech in the House of Commons he expressed Britain's determination to give compensation to tbe loyalists, and to refuse to assist those who rebelled against the Imperial authority, hk speech at tho banquet waa remarked upon as making no allusion to that aspect of Britain's policy. He emphasised the fact that the war had left suffering on both sides. He pointed out that war could not be made -without suffering on both aide*. "F-Tthermore," he continued, "you cannot expect that the people, who have made war and have been beaten, should be put back ia the same positjpn in which they were before the war began. The defeated must, as a general principle, suffer more than the victors." The Government policy waa one of __ioa, and conciliation as far as this promoted union, because it did not wish anyone to be | subjected to the misery which those people would otherwise have suffered, and because Britain wished the races to livo together aa friends. It waa not conciliation, however, he said, to try and meet the views of opponents if one simultaneously' alienated one's friends. .(Cheers.) It was useless to make concessions if they were interpreted as weakness, and used for advancing fresh demands. He advocated, besides alliance, the fusion of races. He stated that the Boer leaden had accepted as frankly as anyone could - desire the result of the war and the terms of settlement, and he accepted.their assurances, and believed them to be perfectly sincere. Britain would execute the terms of tbe settlement in the spirit and in the letter. She expected the Boers to do likewise. He hoped and prayed that whatever controversies might arise regarding the future, there would be none on racial lines. The. prosperity of the country was dependent upon the realisation of that hope. Regarding the Transvaal's contribution, to the cost of the war, he would rather return home empty-handed than be the bearer of an arrangement extorted from an unwilling people.

He announced finally that he and Lard Milner had agreed on a scheme to expedite the settlement of all claims for conn penaatictt_ 4