A Plea for the Boers.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 41, 18 February 1901, Page 1

A Plea for the Boers.

(To the Editor of the Times.)

Sir, —I note that among other fallacious arguments used by your correspondent “ Tommy Atkins ” is one that the war was entirely caused by the Transvaal Government through the issue of' its ultimatum. This no doubt impresses the unreflective and prejudiced, but when the real circumstances are impartially considered it is worthless. For months past the Tory Government, through Mr Chamberlain, had been bullying the Boer authorities in a shameful manner, doing what a scribe in the Otago Daily Times (“ Oivis ”) gleefully termed putting on the “military screw.” An absolutely false construction was put on the . death of Edgar at the hands of a policeman named Jones, acting purely in self-defence [(the latter’s conduct would nave been condoned by an English court of law), and so many demands were made on the Transvaal as to far exceed anything that dared be asked of one of our own colonies. Jingo politicians objeoted to the Transvaal tariff, although it was actually a lower one than that of Cilpe Colony, or most of those of the Australasian colonies. At last several concessions being formally demanded, President Kruger consented to them (in some particular cases even offered more than he was asked), when 10, Mr Chamberlain withdrew these, saying they were insufficient, and he would take time to formulate fresh proposals. Meanwhile the British troops were being augmented on the borders of the Transvaal as quickly as possible. The Boers waited for a fortnight or so, endeavoring to find out, but fruitlessly, what these now proposals were. Then they issued the ultimatum, as they regarded war inevitable ; and, being the weaker nation, wished to strike before their mighty foe had completed his preparations. I defy anyone to imagine himself in the position of a Transvaaler, and honestly affirm that Mr Kruger’s ultimatum was not amply justified. When was this coercion to cease ? coming, too, as it did, after the Jamieson raid. Tho President repeatedly begged that the disputed points should be submitted to international arbitration (a most humane and rational proposal); but no, Mr Chamberlain would have none of it, although one government was with nauseous hypocrisy pretending to seek for universal peace at the Hague, The fact, sir, is undeniable that in this war, our (or rather the British) Government, misled by such men as Chamberlain, Milner, and Rhodes, has acted in an exceedingly unjust manner to the brave little Republics. —I am, etc., Humanitarian.