THE BRITISH CLAIM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 716, 15 January 1910, Page 5

THE BRITISH CLAIM.

The "greedy attacks of Capo Colony" refer to a claim' ■ made' some months; ago concerning, the rights, of-British subjects in German South-west Africa, dating back to-1863.•!.■■.; .■,.'-. ' :>, . In that year, a Cape Town' firm, ■ Messrs. Depass, Sponce, and Co., obtained'the concession of a:coast strip in the neighbourhood of; the present. Luderitzbucht, which "was afterwards granted by'a native chief; to .the German. linderitz.;, A dispute as ,to ownership ensiled, and ulti-' niatoly -by an Anglo-German of; 1886 the.Cape Town firm, was granted a perpetual title, to a'portion of the land claimed, where some of the. richest dia'niond "finds" have lately been made. .; Tho German- authorities .-not''lone'ago granted:Herr,-Weisz, a German subject,' 'the'light:to peg out claims on this property. The : subjects interested protested/asserting that...the'..lßß6 agreement assures, tliein the solo rights there. According to the : "Cape Times,' the reply, of the German Foreign Office, : forwarded to -.the. British. Foreign'iOiSce', : was that the British, claim- is invalidated by the , Gorman, mining. laws; ' which do not recogniso mining rights.as included in' the term "full title." , : The ."Cape .Times" considers Ciiat. if this is correct, it is scarcely'; credible:,that '■■ Sir E. : Grey (British ':Secretary .'for Foreign Affairs)' for a 'moment admit ;the German tionW';•;:' ';/: '.'.'...'<:. ;v!. : --.'.'■•',."■■ ; -. "What, would any . 'treaty, .however solemnly-raiified.'V the. jonrntl'Taslis,-'.'be worth' if it .wero possible for,.either of the .contracting .parties to pass .domestio laws .materially:: affecting ."rights - which the''.treaty was',expressly .intended: to. secure. .Such a principle involves the,most dangerous precedent... If; Germany insists oh disregarding the'.'plain terms of' the agreement of 1886.the British Government' might; reasonably reopen, the .whole .question.; of - British. ohums/ in :.Sonth-west Africa under the-gra'nt of 1863,, which embraces a .'far'.wider area 'thanl-that now. in:dispute.":.'-' ' i:\ l ; .'' : -":'."":V--' :V : \::