The Press. MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1901. A CATSPAW OF ENGLAND'S ENEMIES.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10870, 21 January 1901, Page 4

The Press. MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1901. A CATSPAW OF ENGLAND'S ENEMIES.

A remarkable letter appeared in the London "Times" early in December last, giving what the writer declared to be an absolutely authentic history of the relations of ex-Presi-dent Kruger and M. Delcasse, French Minister of Foreign Affairs. Since the outburst of war in South Africa, sufficient has transpired to show that Kruger and his party embarked on the campaign in full confidence that in due course certain of the European Powers would come to their assistance in some practical manner. The writer of the fetter referxed to, however, goes even further than this, and shows how Kruger was duped and made use of by the enemiee of England. Going back to the beginning of the war he says that on the historic 9th of October he saw Dr. Leyds in Brussels, and Leyds told him that the ulti-

matum was to be presented to England that j day. It had bsen ready for delivery, he said, more than a fortnight, but Joubsrt had hesitated. Leyds added that- on the previous day lie had sent a cable message in the French Government's cipier toil. Aubert, tbe French Consul-General, at Pretoria, by whom it was handed to Mr Reitz, the Transvaal Secretary of State. "The " contents of that message, handed in at " 11.40 a.m. on October Bth," says the writer in "The Times." "were that M. Del- " casse considered further delay in the pre- '• sentation of the ultimatum would be a " fatal blunder, and that the Transvaal •' could rely upon moral and material assis"tanre from France." Thus the French Foreign Minister, on the evidence of this j correspondent, who gives the minutest details, even to the hour of the despatch of the cable messages, is found urging the Boers on to war with a friendly Power, and promising moral and material assistance. Up to that time the "moral ,, assistance had taken the form of official encouragement and advice, and the unrestricted use of the Government cipher code. The •"material" assistance embraced the introduction of Dr. Leyds to the late Colonel Villebois-Mareuil and other French military officers, who were willing to offer their services to the Transvaal as volunteers. That was not how j the cablegram was understood at Pretoria, however, and when Mr Kruger paid his recent visit to France he is said to have claimed for his country a proper fulfilment of the pledge given. "M. Deleasse," continues this chronicler from behind the scenes, " repudiated meaning anything further by " moral and material assistance than what "is stated above; but, being confronted '" with the possibility of its publication, as " well as that of others —a delicate hint was ■' given upon the subject—the Government " had thought it wiser to compromise them- " selves a little further, although in a harmless way.' . This further compromising of the French Government consisted of undertaking that as there might have been some room for misconception on the part of Mr Kruger of M. Delcasse's telegram of October Bth, 1899, the French Government would intervene in the interests of the Transvaal, provided that Germany would recognise her obligations and take the lead. We have seen how Kruger fared when he attempted to approach the German Emperor on the subject. He was refused an audience, and, it is reported, despondently declared that all was lost. It was his last hope gone. Whether the writer to "The Times" is correct in all his statements or not it is impossible for us to judge. The fact that a paper of such high standing publishes the letter is some guarantee that it is worthy of credence. It is abundantly clear, moreover,

that France and Germany at various times encouraged the Boers in their antagonism to England, and it was largely their promises of support, made or implied, that led the Dutch Republics to embark upon the course which has led them to their ruin.