THE KRUGER TELEGRAM.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 59, 3 April 1909, Page 6

THE KRUGER TELEGRAM.

THE .NEW VERSION OF THE KItUGER MESSAGE. It was asserted in January, in a hook by J-Jerr Adolf Stein, that the telegram sent to Kruger hy the Kaiser ou the occasion of the Jameson Raid in 180(1 was in reality drawn up by the German Foreign Office, and that the Kaiser was not responsible for it. The importance of the latest cablegram is L'lit ice Billow's authoritative and oll'icial eonlirmation that the telegram was not. tlie result of tile Kaiser's personal initiative. llerr Stein, who states that he has obtained his information from the best sources, gives the following account of events of that period : Four weeks before the Jameson Raid, when proposals to carry it out were discussed in Pretoria, the Transvaal Government addressed an inquiry to -Berlin as to what attitude Germany and other European Powers would adopt towards the outbreak of hostilities between Great Britain and the two Boer Republics.

The reply of the German Government, which was communicated through Baron von Maltzahu, a German nobleman then living in South Africa, was to the effect that the Transvaal Government could count Oil Germany's diplomatic support, inasmuch as German interests would be served liy the maintenance of the independence of the Boer Republics, hut that Boers could not expect anything more than diplomatic 'help from Germany, or from any other European .Power. TJiis reply was 011 its way to South Africa by mail when the Jameson Jiaid ensued.

The text of the famous telegram to President Kroger was composed, lien.Stein states, in the German foreign Office. It congratulated President Kruger that "without appealing to the aid of friendly Powers, J'nil and jour people have succeeded in repelling with your own hands the armed bands which" had broken into your country ; and in maintaining the independence of your country against foreign aggression." Prince Hohellhole, the Imperial Chancellor of that day, together with Baron Marschall van Biebcrsteiii, then secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and now Ambassador in Constantinople, had an audience of the Emperor on the morning ol January 3, 1800. Tlie telegram announcing the Jameson Raid had arrived at Potsdam during tin night, and the Emperor came to Berlin in the early morning, and drove straight from tlie station to Prince Ilohcnlnhe's official residence in the Wilhelmstrassa Prince Hohenlohe and Baron MarschaA von Beiberstein both told the Emperor that it would be advisable lo congratulate the Boers on having repelled an attack by their own strength without foreign assistance, this being a polite form of indicating that they could not expect any foreign aid. f ilie l.mporor raised several onjecuons to sending tliis telegram, but ultimately allowed himself to be persuaded liv the two statesmen to sign the telegram'. The " Kruger telegram," which was so often ascribed to the Kaiser's impulsive naste, was thus, according to Jlerr Stein, really tlie result of tlie wisdom of 11K' German foreign Oliice. The telegram produced a wave of pro-Boer enthusiasm in (lerinany ; and was not understood in Pretoria ai a gentle hint that foreign aid could not be expected, but as an encouragement to pursue an anti-Brilisii policy. In England, of course, it was regarded as an insult by the whole nation, and exercised an extremely unfavourable influence on Anglo-German relations. '.Notwithstanding the effect so produced, no one responsible German statesman found it necessary to correct Gorman public opinion by explaining that the telegram was only meant to l>e a polite indication to the Boers that they could not expect any active assistance from Germany.