HISTORIC LUNCHEON.

Gisborne Times, Volume V, Issue 117, 28 May 1901, Page 2

HISTORIC LUNCHEON.

EMPHATIC SPEECH BY LORD MILNER OF CAPETOWN. By Telegraph—Pres3 Association—Copyright London, May 24. Mr Chamberlain entertained the' Duke’ of Cambridge, Lord Salisbury, Lady Gwendoline, Lord Cecil, Lord and Lady Roberts, Ministers ana their wives at a private luncheon on Saturday to meet Lord Milner. Although the Liboral leaders were invited, Sir H. H. Fowler alone was present. Mr Chamberlain, in proposing Sir A. Milner’s health, described the Nation’s unabated confidence in Milner’s impartiality and courage, and predicted his success in the more arduous task beforo him of establishing a machinery which will unite and reconcile the two races, thus laying a broad and deep foundation fora United South Africa, free, properous, and loyal as Canada and Australia. Sir A. Milner, replying, acknowledged the timely and indispensable support the Government had always extended to him, and tho splendid devotion of the Dutch loyalists. Ho laughed at tho ludicrous M

misinterpretation in some quarters that his holiday veiled his recall. lie continued, “ \Ve are reaching n predestined end.” What had sustained him under the weary road, lie said, was the absolute, unshakable conviction that there was only one road we could travel. AVc might have peace by self-effacement, biit could not have held our own by any other methods than those we were compelled to adopt. lie did not know whether to laugh; or cry while listening to Utopian dogmatising. It only required a little more time, patience, and meekness, a little more of those gentle virtues whereof he knew himself conspicuously devoid, in order to conciliate panoplied hatred, insensate ambition, and- invinciblo ignorance. There was room for gentle statesmanship, provided it did not mar the conclusivcncps of the final scenes in the present drama/ Sir A. Milner takes the titlo of Lord Milner of Capetown.