SIR A. MILNER’S SPEECH.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 351, 27 February 1902, Page 4

SIR A. MILNER’S SPEECH.

In the course of Jiis speech at the Johannesburg banquet Sir A. Milner said 01 course there arc moments of despondency—call it be wondered at under the circumstances ? —and the friends of the enemy play upon them for till they are worth. One of their genial devices is to pretend that the war is never coining to an end unless we go on our knees to the enemy and ask them to stop. ( Laughter.) The war, gentlemen, will end all the quicker if we rely simply on steady physi- g cal pressure without fidgeting about nego- g tiations. (Cheers.) ft is no use to J: threaten ; it is no use to wheedle ; the a only thing is imperturbably to squeeze and to keep our clemency and our conciliation —both excellent qualities in their place—for the Boers who surrender instead of lavishing our blandishments on those who still continue to light. (Cheers.). But these prophets of evil are not satisfied with dwelling upon the endlessness of the war. Even more persistent lamentations are devoted to the terrible state of things 1 which is going to follow it. It is a curious fact that the inter-national party in Great Britain is always in the doleful dumps. (Laughter.) Years ago, and for years they were always blubbering about Egypt. (Laughter.) They drew such a dreadful picture that I almost think I began blubbering myself. But that was a long time before I knew anything about the subject. We have got to make up our minds that for the next year or two the same persistent jeremaids will have to be listened to about South Africa. We must put up with them with what patience wo can. For my own part, gentlemen, I do not believe in this terrible future. (Hear, hear.) The task of the soldier has been one of almost inconceivable difficulty (hear, hear) —but given a clean finish the task of the statesman will not be equally difficult. I am the last man in tho world who has any interest in minimising its difficulties, and lam not minimising them. The task will be laborious ; it will take much time; but there is nothing insoluble, to my mind, about its many problems, providing that 1 the people of the Empire retain tho same c clearness of sight with regard to South African matters as they have already shown patience and resolution. (Hear, hear.) The danger of our getting in a muddle is not here ; the danger is on tho other side, and it consists in this, that the people at Homo may not seo South African matters in their true proportions. I say deliberately the people at Homo, for I see no similar tendency in our great sister colonies. (Cheers.) Their strong common sense patriotism is a great stand-by, not only on the field of battle. But, then, they have no pro-Boers to bemuse them. (Laughter.) The worst aud the most 1 dangerous of all the dis-services which that party has rendered to our country is that by their eternal clamor they keep tho thoughts of their countrymen with regard to South Africa in one particular rut. ■ 3 They will never convert them to proBocrism, but they do make the figure of the Boer loom too large in tho British imagination. (Cheers.) “ Will this form ti of settlement conciliate tho Boers or will that form of settlement conciliate him better ? Such and such a policy may all be very well, but will it annoy the Boers.” Morning, noon, and night, it is Boors, Boors, Boers. (Laughter.) But what of all tho rest of South African humanity ? (Cheers.) What of the pooplc of Natal '! What of tho people of Rhodesia ? What ~ of the loyalists of tho Capo, including tho 4 Dutch loyalists—(cheers)—who feel very bitterly that with tho tendency to take sham loyalty with true coin the existence of some true coin is apt to bo forgotten. What after all of this littlo place'? (Laughter.) And what of thoso of our enemies who hate come over to our side no inconsiderable number of whom are actually fighting for us to-day in order to j bring peaco to their country ? Are we ’ forgetful of the necessity of doing nothing U which can possibly put them in the wrong V t . Of course it is needless to say that the o moment the Boer surrenders the pro-Boer 3, takes no further interest in him whatsod ever, (Laughter.) His interest, his al'fecu fcion is entirely centred in the Boers who a are still fighting and in their dependents ; but as a nation we really cannot indulge n this high degree of altruism at the expense of our friends. Ido not mean to say that , a man ought to allow himself to be led even by his friends. A great politician )£ once said: “Any man can stand up to his friends,” and there is a deep truth in that. But he did not say : “ Give me tho 0 man who leaves his friends out of account." It would be absurd to supposo that the people of Great Britain do not care about the loyalists of South Africa. Never has n any country made such tremendous sacrifices for a small and distant section of its people. But tho people of Great Britain may possibly be tempted, taking for granted the attachment of tho South : ® African loyalists, to think too exclusively n in tho immediate future about winning £ over thoso who have opposed them. That would be a great mistake, and it would be a gratuitous mistake, because tho bulk of South African Britishers are themselves conciliatory in their attitude. They do not want to eat tho Boors. (Laughter.) They are perfectly aware that they must remain an important clement, though they will no longer be the dominant clement. AVhat / is more, they have a shrewder notion of ■ how really to win them than somo of the theorists at Home.