HOLLAND AND THE TRANSVAAL

Evening Post, Volume LX, Issue 102, 27 October 1900, Page 5

HOLLAND AND THE TRANSVAAL

FRIENDLY* COUNSEL FROM. THE DUTCH GOVERNMENT. • LONDON, 26th October. Three confidential despatches, have been officially published at The Hague. On 30th May, 1899, Mr. W. H. de Beaufort, the Dutch Minister for Foreign Affairs, warned Mr. Kruger of the danger of a violent solution of the troubles then existing in the Transvaal. As a faithful friend he counselled the utmost conciliation and .moderation, adding that Germany fully conourred in such a course. Mr.' Kruger replied that he had always been conciliatory, and did not desire war, but was unable to" sacrifice the independence of his country. He favoured, granting the suffrage to the Outlanders,',' but would not tolerate Englishnien remaining Britishers and voting. On 4th 1 August, Mr. Beaufort urged Mr. Kruger not to peremptorily refuse the International Commission, to which the President replied that the Commissidn was not an International one, but Anglo-Transvaal' On 15th August Mr. Beaufort telegraphed that Germany entirely concurred in the inadvisability of declining the proposal. He was convinced that any appeal to a Great Power at such a critical moment would be barren anddangerous to the Republic, . » . Mr. Kruger replied that . the proposal would lead to .very.. direct internal interference witfi the Transvaal, and that he did not intend to appeal to a Great* Power.