The South-African crisis - pagina 37

THE SOUTH-AFRICAN

33

CRISIS.

be SO far intimidated as to accept

to

demands, peace would have been preferable

berlain's

But the end he pursued was as clear as day.

to him.

By

Mr. Cham-

all

the threat of a military occupation he wished to

compel the Transvaal to be dictated to from Downing as

Street

to

the

conditions

of

naturalisation

and

enfranchisement, to the end that the Uitlanders should

be given the opportunity of supplanting the Boers and

way

in this

of Anglicising the

Repubhc without

strik-

ing a blow.

Unhappily that

said

sagacity

for him, his adversary, of

no statesman in Europe surpassed him in and sound judgement, did not fall into this

He prolonged

trap.

whom Bismarck

negotiations in order to thoroughly

sound the projects proof before

all

Mr. Chamberlain and to give

of

Europe of

his

own

conciliatory inten-

But from the moment that he had

tions.

in his

hand

undeniable proofs that Mr. Chamberlain was decoying

and seeking to gain time

him,

him with a superior sation of coveting

force,

he flung at him the accu-

Naboth's

ultimatum to London.

in order to surprise

vineyard,

and sent an

This ultimatum Mr. Chamber-

trump card in his game. It would it was he who was the man of peace because it was Mr. Kruger who had forced Great Britain into war And then the English army set out en route for its military promenade to Pretoria. But outside Mr. Chamberlain's following no one was lain received as a

now

be clear that !

!

the

dupe of this inversion of the

roles.

Ever3^where

on the continent public opinion and the Press well understood that for

the

Transvaal

to

have waited 3

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