Republik. Nr. 12472. for the sake of humanity your Excellency will give me the opportunity for Südafrikan. such consideration and consultation. || As some of my Officers are near the 13. Juni 1900. Natal Border, and I am also a long way separate from my Government, this will require some time. I ask your Excellency kindly, therefore, for an armistice for 6 days, beginning from to-morrow morning at sunrise, during which time no forward movement will be made on either side within in territory of the South African Republic. || I would very much like to receive from your Excellency to-day an answer to this request, and if possible by the agent who is taking you this letter. I have the honour to be, Your obedient Servant, Louis Botha, Acting Commandant-General, Nr. 12473. GROSSBRITANNIEN. wort auf das Vorige. Lord Roberts an Botha. Ant Army Head-quarters, South Africa, Pretoria, 14th June, 1900. Your Honour's letter of yesterday reached me during the night. I am anxious to meet your wishes and to enable your Honour to communicate with 14. Juni 1900. the Government of the South African Republic, but as the movement of my Nr. 12473. Grofsbritannien. Nr. 12474. troops in that Republic are intimately connected with operations in progress Roberts, Field-Marshal, Commanding the British Army in South Africa. Nr. 12474. GROSSBRITANNIEN. - Botha an Lord Roberts. Lehnt den bedingten Waffenstillstand ab. Commandant-General's Camp, 15th June, 1900. Your Excellency, || In answer to your letter, dated 14th June, just receibritannien. ved by me, wherein your Excellency consents to an armistice for five days, 15. Juni 1900. but with the reservation of the right to your Excellency to move your Army Grofs in all directions within the South African Republic, except east of Elands Nr. 12474. River Station and north of the Volksrust-Johannesburg Railway line, I must, britannien. to my great regret, inform your Excellency that this reservation makes it 15. Juni 1900. impossible for me to accept this armistice, which I have so much desired. I have the honour to be, Your Excellency's obedient Servant, Loui's Botha, Acting Commandant-General of the South African Republic. 2. Friedensverhandlungen zwischen Kitchener und Botha. Februar/März 1901. Nr. 12475. GROSSBRITANNIEN. — Der Oberkommissar von Kapland an den Kolonialminister. Botha und Kitchener planen eine Zusammenkunft, um über den Frieden zu beraten. February 23, 1901, 10.45 A. M. (February 23, 1.10 P. M.) Gross (Telegram.) || Following telegram received from Commander-in-chief, Pre- Nr. 12475. toria: Begins: 22nd February. Mrs. L. Botha has come back from meeting britannien. her husband to day, and has brought me a letter from him in answer to a 23. Feb. 1901. verbal message from me that, if he desired it, I would meet him as to means of bringing the war to an end, on the express understanding that I should not do so if the question of the independence of the Transvaal and Orange River Colony were to be discussed in any way. Mrs. Botha assures me the letter was written with that point clearly understood and that Botha had referred the matter to his generals. Meeting will probably take place at Middelburg, Transvaal. End of telegram. Nr. 12476. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Kolonialminister an den Oberkommissar. Ist befriedigt über die Friedensaussicht. Downing Street, February 23, 1901, 7.15 P. M. Grofs (Telegram.) | Your telegram No. 121. || I am glad to hear of Botha's Nr. 12476. desire to treat, and I hope that it is genuine. He will find us most anxious, britannien. in that case, to meet him on all points affecting individual position. have already made clear the policy we intend to pursue as to future Government. We 23. Feb. 1901. Nr. 12477. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Kitchener an den Der Oberbefehlshaber Lord Pretoria, March 1, 1901, 2.20 P. M. Grofs (Telegram.) || 28th February. I have had a long interview with Botha, Nr. 12477. who showed very good feeling and seemed anxious to bring about peace. britannien. He asked for information on a number of subjects which he said that he 1. März 1901. britannien. Nr. 12477. should submit to his Government and people, and if they agreed he should Grofs- visit Orange River Colony and get them to agree. They should all then hand 1. März 1901. in their arms and finish the war. He told me that they could go on for some time, and that he was not sure of being able to bring about peace without independence. He tried very hard for some kind of independence, but I declined to discuss such a point, and said that a modified form of independence would be most dangerous and likely to lead to war in the future. Subject was then dropped, and- || Firstly. The nature of future government of Colonies asked about. He wanted more details than were given by Colonial Secretary, and I said that, subject to correction from home, I understood that when hostilities ceased military guard would be replaced by Crown Colony administration, consisting of nominated Executive, with elected assembly to advise administration, to be followed after a period by representative government. He would have liked representative government at once, but seemed satisfied with above. || Secondly. Whether a Boer would be able to have. a rifle to protect him from native? I said I thought he would be by a licence and on registration. || Thirdly. He asked whether Dutch language would be allowed? I said that English and Dutch would, I thought, have equal rights. He expressed hope that officials dealing with farmers would know Dutch. || Fourthly. The Kaffir question. This turned at once on franchise of Kaffirs, and a solution seemed to be that franchise should not be given to Kaffirs until after representative government was granted to Colonies. Orange Free State laws for Kaffirs were considered good. || Fifthly. That Dutch Church property should remain untouched. | Sixthly. Public trusts and orphan funds to be left intact. He asked whether British Government, in taking over the assets of Republics, would also take over legal debts. This he made rather a strong point of, and he intended it to include debts legally contracted since the war began. He referred to notes issued amounting to less than a million. || Seventhly. He asked if any war tax would be imposed on farmers? I said I thought not. || Eigthly. When would prisoners of war return? Ninthly. He referred to pecuniary assistance to repair burnt farms, and enable farmers to start afresh. I said I thought some assistance would be given. || Tenthly. Amnesty to all at end of war. We spoke of Colonials who joined Republics, and he seemed not adverse to their being disfranchised. || I arranged with him that I should write and let him know the view of the Government on these points. All I said during the interview was qualified by being subject to confirmation from home. He was anxious to get an answer soon. Nr. 12478. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Oberkommissar an den zu einem Briefe an Botha. Bemerkung dazu. Bloemfontein, March 3, 1901, 11.20 A. M. (March 3, 9.45 P. M.) (Telegram.) || It is suggested by Kitchener that the following letter should Nr. 12478. be sent to Botha. Begins: Grofsbritannien. Your Honour, || With reference to our conversation at Middelburg on the 3. März 1901. 28th February, I beg to inform you that on the cessation of hostilities and the complete surrender of arms, ammunition, cannon, and other munitions of war now in the hands of the burghers in the field or in Government depôts or elsewhere, His Majesty's Government is prepared at once to grant an amnesty in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony for all bonâ fide acts of war committed during the recent hostilities; as well as to move the Governments of Cape Colony and Natal to take similar action but qualified by the disfranchisement of any British subjects implicated in the recent war. All prisoners of war now in St. Helena, Ceylon, or elsewhere will, on the completion of the surrender, be brought back to their country. At the same time military law will cease and be at once replaced by civil administration, which will at first consist of a Governor and a nominated Executive with or without an advisory elected Assembly, but it is the desire of His Majesty's Government, as soon as circumstances permit, to establish representative Government in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony. Moreover on the cessation of hostilities a High Court will be established to administer the laws of the land, and this Court will be independent of the Executive. || Church property, public trusts, and orphan funds will be respected, and both the English and the Dutch languages will be used and taught in public schools and allowed in Courts of Law. || As regards the legal debts of the State, they will be paid, even if contracted during hostilities, to the extent to which the creditor can show to the satisfaction of a Commission or Judge that he has given value for his debt. The sum to be paid under this head will not, however, exceed 1 000 000 1., and if bonâ fide debts to a greater amount are proved they will have to be reduced proportionally to bring them within that figure. I also beg to inform your Honour that it is the intention of His Majesty's Government to take steps to assist farmers who have suffered loss by the destruction of farms or the capture of stock during the war, and that no special tax will be imposed upon farmers to defray the expenses of the war. Where burghers require the protection afforded by fire-arms, such will be allowed to be kept by licence and with due registration. Licences will be also issued for sporting rifles, guns, &c. || As regards the extension of the franchise to Kaffirs in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, it is not the intention of His Majesty's Government to give such a franchise before a representative Government is granted to those Colonies. Ends, Nr. 12478. britannien. With the following exception I agree with the above. In paragraph 1, Grofs- instead of the words ,,as well as to move the Governments of Cape Colony", etc., 3. März 1901. read the following: „British subjects of Cape Colony or Natal, though they will not be compelled to return to those Colonies, will, if they do so, be liable to be dealt with under the laws of those Colonies specifically passed to meet the circumstances arising out of the present war and which greatly mitigate the ordinary penalties of rebellion." || While willing to concede much in order to strengthen Botha in inducing his people to submit, the amnesty of rebels is not, in my opinion, a point which His Majesty's Government can afford to concede. I think it would have a deplorable effect in Cape Colony and Natal to obtain peace by such a concession. Nr. 12479. britannien. Nr. 12479. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Kolonialminister an den Oberkommissar. Antwort auf das Vorige. Genaue Instruktion für Kitchener. Downing Street, March 6, 1901. (Telegram.) | Your telegram 3rd March, B 1. Kitchener's proposed letter.[ Grofs- Kitchener should modify the terms of his letter in accordance with following 6. März 1901. instructions and observations of His Majesty's Government. || The first paragraph implies of course the total cessation of hostilities and not the surrender of Botha only while other bands may be continuing the war. It should be made clear that this is the condition precedent to the subsequent promises. His Majesty's Government feel that they cannot promise to ask for complete amnesty to Cape and Natal rebels who are in totally different position to burghers without injustice to those who have remained loyal under great provocation, and they are prepared substantially to adopt your words, but you must consider whether your last line is strictly applicable to Natal. || Following points in letter also require amendment: 1. The words as to prisoners of war may be misconstrued. We cannot possibly undertake to bring all back immediately. Transport will be wanted to bring home large portion of the army and repatriation of burghers must be gradual. Also we will only bring back to South Africa burghers and colonists: the foreigners must go to their own countries. Accordingly after ,,prisoners of war" insert,,being burghers or colonists", and after "country" insert,,as quickly as arrangements can be made for their transport". || 2. For ,,military law will cease" say military administration will cease". It is possible that there may be disturbed districts for some time after terms have been accepted, and Governor of Colonies cannot abandon right of proclaiming martial law where necessary. In the same sentence omit the words,,at the same time" and ,,at once" and substitute at the beginning the words ',,at the earliest practicable date". || 3. Constitution. - For,,consist of a Governor" down to |