THE DECLARATION OF WAR. BOER CHALLENGE AND BRITISH REPLY.

Evening Post, Volume LVIII, Issue 113, 9 November 1899, Page 5

THE DECLARATION OF WAR. BOER CHALLENGE AND BRITISH REPLY.

The Capetown correspondent of the Sydney Daily Telegraph, writing on* the 11th October, sends the text of the ultimatum received by the British authorities from the Transvaal Government, and the aqswer given to it — the last correspondence that was exchanged prior to the outbreak of hostilities. The ultimatum from the Transvaal State Secretary is dated 9th October, and opens with, the usual rigmarole about the Convention and Great Britain's rights under that precious document, also her breaches of it, alleged and otherwise, and an allegation that it is Great Britain which has broken off the friendly negotiations of the post year. It is, however (says the correspondent), when Mr. Reitjs draws his deductions that the impudence comes in. Listen to this : — "On account of the strained situation and consequent serious loss in and interruption of trade in general, which the correspondence respecting the franchise and representation in this Republic carried in its train, Her Majesty's Government has reoently pressed for an early settlement, and finally pressed, by your intervention, for an answer within 48 hours, subsequently somewhat modified, to your note of lath September, replied to by the Note of this Government of 15fch September, and your Note of 25th September, and thereafter further friendly negotiations, were broken off. This Government received the intimation that a proposal for a final settlement would shortly be made, but although this promise was once more repeated, no proposal has up to now reached this Government Even while friendly correspondence was still going on, an increase of troops on a large scale was introduced by Her Majesty's Government, and stationed in the neighbourhood of the borders of this Republic. Having regard to occurrences in the history of this Republic which it is unnecessary here to call to mind, this Government feels obliged to regard this military, force in the neighbourhood of ite Borders as a threat against the independence of the South African Republic, since it was aware of no circumstances which could justify tlfb presence of any such military force in South Africa and in the neighbourhood of its borders. In answer to an enquiry in respect thereto, addressed to His Excellency the High Commissioner, this Government received, to its great astonishment, in answer, a veiled insinuation that from the side of the Republic (van republickansche zeyde) an attack was oeing made on Her Majesty' s colonies, and at the same time a mysterious xeference to possibilities, whereby it was strengthened in its suspicion that the independence of this Republic was being threatened. As a defensive measure, it was therefore obliged to send a portion of the burghers of this Republic in order to offer the requisite resistance to similar possibilities." Nor is this all. The ultimatum proper follows. Here it is : — "Her Majesty's unlawful intervention in the internal affairs of this Republic, in conflict with the Convention of London of 1884, combined with the extraordinary strengthening of troops in the neighbourhood of the borders of this Republic, has thus caused ah intolerable condition of things to arise, whereto this Government feels itself obliged in the interests not only of this Republic, but also of all South Africa, to make an end as soon as possible, and feels itself called upon and is, obliged to press earnestly and with emphasis on Her Majesty's Government for ! an immediate termination of this state of things* and to request Her Majesty's' Government to give the assurance— "1. That all points of mutual difference shall be -regulated by the friendly course of arbitration, or by whatever amicable way may be agreed upon by this Government with Her Majesty's Government*.. "2. That the troops on the borders of this Republic shall be instantly withdrawn. "3. That all reinforcements of troops which have arrived in South Africa since Ist June, 1899, shall be removed from South Africa within a reasonable time, to be agreed upon with this Government, and with a mutual assurance and guarantee on the part of this Govevaiment that no attack upon or hostilities against any portion of the possessions of the British Government shall be made by the Republic during the further negotiations, within a period of time to be subsequently agreed upon between the Governments ; and this Government will, on compliance therewith, be prepared to withdraw the armed burghers of this Republic from the borders. "4. That Her Majesty's troops which are now on the high seas shall not bo landed in any port of South Africa. "This Government must press for an immediate and affirmative answer to these four questions, and earnestly requests Her Majesty's Government' to refeurn such answer before Or upon Wednesday^ llth October, 1899, not later than 5 o'clock p.m. ; and it desires further to add that in the event of unexpectedly no satisfactory answer being received by it in that interval, it will with great regret be compelled to regard the action of Hex Majesty's Government as a formal declaration of war, and will not hold itself responsible for the consequences thereof ; and that in the event of any further movement of troops taking place within the above-mentioned time, in the nearer direction of our borders, this Government will be compelled to regard that also as a formal declaration of war." A CURT RESPONooi. The British reply is brief and charac % terlstically "polite." It was addressed to" the British Agent at Pretoria : — "October 10, 1899.— Her Majesty's Government has received with great\ regret the peremptory demands of the Government of the South Airican Republic, conveyed in your telegram of 9th October. You will inform the Government of the South African Republic in reply that the conditions demanded by the Government of the South African Republic are such as Her Majesty's Government deem it impossible to discuss." In delivering this message, Her Majesty's Government added that, as the Government of the South African Republic had stated in that Note that a refusal to comply -with its demands would De regarded as a formal declaration ot war, the British Agent was instructed to ask for his passport.