Grofs ,,Assembly" read ,,consist of a Governor and an Executive Council composed Nr. 12479. of the principal officials with a Legislative Council consisting of a certain britannien. number of official members to whom a nominated unofficial element will from 6. März 1901. the first be added". In place of the words ,,to establish representative government" substitute to introduce a representative element, and ultimately to concede to the new Colonies the privilege of self-government". || It is desirable at this stage to be quite precise in order to avoid any charge of breach of faith afterwards. || 4. As regards use of languages in schools you should add after,,in public schools",,where the parents of the children desire it". It is possible that in Johannesburg and elsewhere the great majority of children will be English, and we ought no to compel the parents whether Dutch or English to adopt either language where they may have good reason to desire the other. || 5. Debts of the State. Promise embodied in the letter seems dangerous. The words ,,contracted during hostilities" would include not only commandeering receipts, but also all manner of claims for orders given or goods alleged to have been supplied during the war. If such claims are admitted it will be difficult to keep limit to one million or to institute effective examination into alleged claims. The liability would extend even to goods supplied after annexation. || If however sole object of this stipulation is to repay inhabitants of the Orange River Colony or Transvaal for requisitions which were compulsorily levied before annexation by authority of Commandants of forces in the field or which though levied after annexation could not be resisted in presence of superior force, we might assent to putting aside a sum of one million to be distributed pro ratâ in payment of all such claims as can be established to the satisfaction of a Tribunal appointed by Government to investigate and assess them. Remember that whatever sum is allotted would have to cover requisitions upon all persons, Uitlanders as well as burghers, commandeered by orders of Government of South African Republic or Commandants. In regard to this matter, you will of course consider carefully effect on loyalists of proposal which may result in payment for goods willingly supplied to our enemies but concealed from or refused to us. || 6. Assistance to Farmers. This proposal is also liable to the objection that it may appear to treat enemies better than loyalists, but as I have already suggested to you necessity for some provision to prevent destitution after the war in new Colonies and to enable resumption of ordinary employment, you may substitute the following sentence: „I also beg to inform your Honour that the new Government will take into immediate consideration the possibility of assisting by loan the occupants of farms who will take the oath of allegiance to repair any injuries sustained by destruction of buildings or loss. of stock during the war." || 7. The licences to carry arms must also be confined to those persons who will take an oath of allegiance, and will only be granted in the case of military arms where they are necessary for protection. 8. We agree to the last sentence as to Kaffirs, but following words should Nr. 12479. be added: „And if then given it will be so limited as to secure the just preGrofs- dominance of the white races, but the legal position of Kaffirs will be similar 6. März 1901. to that which they hold in the Cape Colony." britannien. Nr. 12480. britannien. We cannot consent to purchase peace by leaving the coloured population in the position in which they stood before the war, with not even the ordinary civil rights which the Government of the Cape Colony has long conceded to them. Kitchener is authorized to reply in accordance with these instructions, but if the terms now offered are not accepted after reasonable delay for consideration they must be considered as withdrawn. || I shall be glad to have your views upon the above amendments to Lord Kitchener's letter. Nr. 12480. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Oberkommissar an den Pretoria, March 9, 1901, 9.45 A. M. (March 9, 5 P. M.) (Telegram.) || Referring to your telegram of 6th March No. 2. While the Grofs- changes which His Majesty's Government desired to introduce into Kitchener's 9. März 1901. letter were improvements in many cases, there were some which I regretted. But none of these appeared to me of much importance except the introduction of the words by loan" in the passage referring to assistance to farmers after the war. I am certainly opposed to giving such assistance indiscriminately, but I think there will be cases in which expenditure not directly recoverable would be justified and politic. Also I think introduction of these words calculated to weaken effect of message, though I hope this may not be serious, having regard to its great liberality on other points. || Kitchener was even more strongly opposed than I to introduction of the words „by loan", because, in view of the suspicious nature of the Boers, he thought it would be regarded as a way of getting farmers into the clutches of the Government. At the same time he and I were quite agreed that disadvantages of delay would not be counterbalanced by any improvement in message which might result from further discussion. || Accordingly message was altered in accordance with instructions and sent to Botha by special messenger to Middelburg on afternoon of 7th March. Nr. 12481. Grofs britannien. Nr. 12481. GROSSBRITANNIEN. Der Oberbefehlshaber in Südafrika an den Kriegsminister. Übersendet den an Botha gerichteten Brief. Pretoria, March 20, 1901, 12.50 P. M. (Telegram.) || Precise terms of letter were as follows:- 20. März 1:01. I have the honour to inform you that in the event of a general and complete cessation of hostilities and the surrender of all rifles, ammunition, cannon, Grofs and other munitions of war in the hands of the burghers or in Government Nr. 12481. depôts or elsewhere. His Majesty's Government is prepared to adopt the britannien. following measures: || His Majesty's Government will at once grant an amnesty 20. März1901, in the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies for all bonâ fide acts of war committed during the recent hostilities. British subjects belonging to Natal and Cape Colony, while they will not be compelled to return to those Colonies, will, if they do so, be liable to be dealt with by the law of those Colonies specially passed to meet the circumstances arising out of the present war. As you are doubtless aware, the special law in the Cape Colony has greatly mitigated the ordinary penalties for high treason in the present cases. || All prisoners of war now in St. Helena, Ceylon, or elsewhere will, on the completion of the surrender, be brought back to their country, as quickly as arrangements can be made for their transport. || At the earliest practicable date military administration will cease and will be replaced by civil administration in the form of Crown Colony Government. There will therefore be, in the first instance, in each of the new Colonies a Governor and an Executive Council, consisting of a certain number of official members, to whom a nominated unofficial element will be added. But it is the desire of His Majesty's Government, as soon as circumstances permit, to introduce a representative element and ultimately to concede to the new Colonies the privilege of self-government. Moreover, on the cessation of hostilities a High Court will be established in each of the new Colonies to administer the law of the land, and this Court will be independent of the Executive. || Church property, public trusts, and orphans funds will be respected. || Both the English and Dutch languages will be used and taught in public schools where parents of the children desire it, and allowed in Courts of Law. || As regards the debts of the late Republican Governments, His Majesty's Government cannot undertake any liability. It is however prepared, as an act of grace, to set aside a sum not exceeding 1000 000 1. to repay inhabitants of the Transvaal and Orange River Colonies for goods requisitioned from them by the late Republican Governments or, subsequent to annexation, by Commandants in the field being in a position to enforce such requisitions. But such claims will have to be established to the satisfaction of a Judge or Judicial Commission appointed by the Government to investigate and assess them, and if exceeding in the aggregate 1 000 000 1, they will be liable to reduction pro rata. || I also beg to inform your Honour that the new Government will take into immediate consideration the possibility of assisting by loan the occupants of farms who will take the oath of allegiance to repair any injury sustained by destruction of buildings or loss of stock during the war, and that no special war tax will be imposed on farmers to defray the expense of the war. || When burghers require the protection of fire - arms such will be allowed to them by licence and on due registration, provided they take the oath of allegiance. Licences also will be issued for sporting rifles, guns, &c., but military fire-arms will only be allowed Staatsarchiv LXV, 19 Grofsbritannien. Nr. 12481. for means of protection. || As regards the extension of the franchise to Kaffirs in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony, it is not the intention of His 20. März 1901. Majesty's Government to give such franchise befor representative government is granted to these Colonies, and if then given it will be so limited as to secure the just predominance of the white races. The legal position of coloured persons will however be similar to that which they hold in Cape Colony. || In conclusion, I must inform your Honour that if the terms now offered are not accepted after a reasonable delay for consideration they must be regarded as cancelled. Ends. Nr. 12482. Grofs britannien. Nr. 12482. GROSSBRITANNIEN. lehnt die Bedingungen ab. Derselbe an Denselben. Botha Pretoria, March 16, 1901, 8.15 p. M. (Telegram.) || Following reply received from Botha: ,,I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Exellency's letter 16. März 1901. stating what steps your Excellency's Government is prepared to take in the event of a general and total cessation of hostilities. I have advised my Government of your Excellency's said letter; but, after the mutual exchange of views at our interview at Middelburg on 28th February last, it will certainly not surprise your Excellency to know that I do not feel disposed to recommend that the terms of the said letter shall have the earnest consideration of my Government. I may add also that my Government and my chief officers here entirely agree to my views." Zur Vorgeschichte des spanisch-amerikanischen Krieges 1898. Interventionsfrage.") Nr. 12483. DEUTSCHES REICH. Der Staatssekretär des Auswärtigen Amts an den Kaiser. Übersendet einen telegraphischen Bericht des Botschafters in Washington über einen englischen Interventionsvorschlag. Berlin, 15. April 1898. Eurer Majestät Botschafter in Washington telegraphiert: ,,Der englische Botschafter ergriff sehr auffälliger Weise heute die Initiative zu einem neuen Kollektivschritt der hiesigen Vertreter der Grofsmächte. Wir vermuten, dafs die Königin-Regentin in diesem Sinne bei der Königin von England vorstellig geworden ist. Die sechs Vertreter telegraphieren an ihre Regierungen auf Wunsch des englischen Botschafters in folgendem Sinne: ,,,,Man kann angesichts der Haltung des Kongresses keine Hoffnung mehr auf Frieden hegen, und die allgemeine Meinung geht dahin, dafs auch die Mächte nichts gegen den Krieg einzuwenden hätten. Eine gute Basis für neue Verhandlungen schien die Note des spanischen Gesandten vom 10. d. M. zu bieten. Wenn diese Ansicht von den Regierungen geteilt wird, so erscheint es angezeigt, hier den Irrtum zu zerstreuen, als finde die bewaffnete Intervention in Cuba die Unterstützung der civilisierten Welt (der Präsident hatte in seiner Dezemberbotschaft gesagt, dafs er nur in diesem Falle Intervention wolle). Die hiesigen Vertreter glauben unter diesen Umständen, dafs die Grofsmächte die Aufmerksamkeit der hiesigen Regierung auf die spanische Note vom 10. d. M. lenken und erklären könnten, dass die bewaffnete Intervention ihnen nicht gerechtfertigt erscheine. Diese Erklärung könnte die Form einer von den Mächten an die Vertreter der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika gerichteten Kollektivnote annehmen. Eine solche würde gröfseren Eindruck machen, und die hiesigen Vertreter würden dann nicht dem Anschein ausgesetzt sein, als wollten sic lediglich ihren ersten Schritt wiederholen, den der Präsident in seiner neuesten Botschaft nicht einmal der Erwähnung gewürdigt hat. Falls eine identische Note beschlossen werden sollte, würde es sich empfehlen, dieselbe sofort zu *) Deutscher Reichs-Anz. 12, Februar 1902. Vgl. Europ. Geschkal. Jhrgg. 1902. Nr. 12483. Deutsches Reich. 15.Apr. 1898. |