The peace negotiations between the governments of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State Part 15

General s.m.u.tS: The portion we gave up would then become a crown colony. The rest would be governed as proposed here.

Lord MILNER: You mean that one portion would become a British Colony of the ordinary type, and the other portion a Protected Republic?

Lord KITCHENER: Two forms of government in the same country would cause great friction. Our proposals are too divergent. From a military point of view, the two forms of government could not exist. We would be at war again in a year's time.

The meeting then adjourned until the afternoon.

During the adjournment the Republican Commission discussed the situation and sent General s.m.u.ts to talk over a few matters with Lord Kitchener and Lord Milner.

The Conference resumed at 4 o'clock.

Lord MILNER: In consequence of an informal conversation between General s.m.u.ts and ourselves, Lord Kitchener and I have drafted a doc.u.ment, which indicates the form in which we think the only agreement which can be entered into must be worded. This is a draft doc.u.ment which we think the Governments can subscribe to. Our idea is that after it has been considered here, it can be submitted to the burghers, and you can ask them: "Do you agree to our signing it?"

The doc.u.ment read as follows:

"The undersigned Leaders of the Burgher forces in the Field, accepting on behalf of themselves and the said Burghers the Annexations notified in Lord ROBERTS' Proclamations, dated respectively, the 24th day of May in the year of our LORD 1900, and No. 15 dated the 1st day of September in the year of our LORD 1900, and accepting as a result thereof their position as British Citizens, agree forthwith to lay down their arms, handing over all Guns, Rifles, and Munitions of war in their possession or under their control, and to desist from any further resistance to the Authority of His Majesty King Edward VII. or his successors.

"They take this course on the faith of the a.s.surances of His Majesty's Government that they and the Burghers surrendering with them will not be deprived of their personal freedom or their property, and that the future action of His Majesty's Government in dealing with the results of the war will be in accordance with the declaration set forth below.

"It is clearly understood that all Burghers, now Prisoners of war, must, in order to partic.i.p.ate in the benefits of the aforesaid a.s.surances, signify their acceptance of the position as British Citizens."

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Facsimile of a page of the Peace Proposals as submitted by the British Representatives, and amended by the Boer Representatives. The alterations are in the handwriting of Generals s.m.u.ts and Hertzog._]

General BOTHA: Must we understand that our proposal has now been entirely rejected?

Lord MILNER and Lord KITCHENER: Yes.

General BOTHA: Then I must understand that you are going to adhere to the Middelburg proposals only?

Lord KITCHENER: No, we can alter them.

Lord MILNER: This draft doc.u.ment was originally drawn up to be attached to the Middelburg proposals; but instead of the Middelburg proposals, this doc.u.ment has now been subst.i.tuted to enable us to cast those proposals in another form.

General s.m.u.tS: If, then, the idea is to alter the Middelburg proposals, would it not be best to do so now and to attach them to this doc.u.ment?

Lord MILNER: What takes the place of the Middelburg proposals must be attached to this doc.u.ment as a schedule, and we must jointly work out the schedule.

General s.m.u.tS: I think it would be better if you alter the proposal yourselves and then submit it to us for consideration, so that we can consider what we shall do with it.

Lord KITCHENER: I am of opinion that a sub-committee out of yourselves should be appointed to do that.

Lord MILNER: My idea is that the schedule can be drafted by two or three of us, to be then considered by us as a whole.

General s.m.u.tS: We would like to consider first whether we shall a.s.sist.

Lord MILNER: I am willing to draft it with you or to let you draw it up alone, but on the ground of my experience I do not wish to do it alone.

General s.m.u.tS: If we sign this doc.u.ment, would not the effect of it be that we leaders would make ourselves responsible for the burghers laying down their arms?

Lord MILNER: Yes, if the arms are not laid down, everything is a failure.

Lord KITCHENER: I do not think so. If all do not lay down their arms, the signatories cannot help it. There will always be some dissatisfied ones.

General s.m.u.tS: The doc.u.ment does not say so.

Lord KITCHENER: You can draft it differently.

General DE LA REY: Then there will be no peace, for a portion of the burghers will remain to continue the war.

Lord MILNER: If the meeting of Representatives agrees to your signing this doc.u.ment, then it certainly means that the burghers as a body agree to it. And those who do not agree to it--I do not know what I shall call them--"outlaws." We cannot suppose such a thing.

General BOTHA: That is why we want a peace that will be honourable for both parties. And as I understand this doc.u.ment, we are now going further; we are not only giving up our independence, but every burgher is bound hand and foot. And where is, then, the honourable peace for us? If we make peace we must do so as people who must live and die here. We must not conclude a peace that is offensive to the feelings of one party. I wish to do everything that is in my power to attain that object, but it appears to me that this doc.u.ment demands too much, because, if I understand aright, we must give up the independence, everyone must lay down his arms, and the leaders must, in addition, sign a promise.

Lord MILNER: All that we want is that those persons must live together in peace as British citizens. If we do not attain that, I do not know what we shall get.

Lord KITCHENER: I believe that the Commandant General does not realise what the schedule contains. We say therein what we shall give.

Perhaps it will be best if the schedule comes first, and then you will see that an honourable peace is proposed.

General BOTHA: Set the doc.u.ment forth more fully.

Lord KITCHENER and Lord MILNER: You must help us. We do not know what the burghers desire.

Chief Commandant DE WET: To sign this doc.u.ment will place us in the position which the Commandant General has described in plain words.

General DE LA REY: We cannot form an opinion about a thing that has not been worked out. I have no objection to the appointment of a sub-committee from our midst to a.s.sist.

General BOTHA: I also have no objection, for I clearly understand that no one is bound.

Lord KITCHENER: No, no one is bound.

General DE LA REY: We also wish to have the matter at an end, and to know what we have before us.

Chief Commandant DE WET: I wish it to be plainly understood that I see no chance to accept a body of which I have here only seen the head.

This appears to me to be an unsurmountable difficulty. Holding this opinion, it would not be honest of me to remain silent; it would not be honest to Your Excellencies.

Lord KITCHENER: I think it would be better that General de Wet first saw the entire doc.u.ment before he gives his opinion.

It was then agreed that General Hertzog and General s.m.u.ts would act as a sub-committee to make a complete draft with Lord Kitchener and Lord Milner, advised by Sir Richard Solomon.

The meeting then adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21, 1902.

The Conference was resumed.

Lord Milner submitted the doc.u.ment which had been drawn up during the adjournment with the a.s.sistance of the sub-committee.