Mr Rhodes aid the Raid.

Hastings Standard, Issue 134, 30 September 1896, Page 4

Mr Rhodes aid the Raid.

STARTLING REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE. The Select Committee of the Cape House of Assembly appointed to enquire into the circumstances of Dr. Jameson's raid has concluded its labors. It finds that Mr Rhodes was acquainted with the forwarding of war material from the De Beers Company ; that the Capetown official of the Chartered Company were cognisant of the plot to despatch an armed force into the Transvaal, and that Messrs Beit, Rhodes, Jameson, and Harris were active promoters and j •moving spirits throughout, and were kept informed of the preparations; that tha inroad was fixed weeks beforehand, and that a letter of invitation was obtained by Dr. Jameson personally four weeks before the ostensible date of signature. The Committee finds that Mr Rhodes directed the combination which res- ; d*nd lh» Junssos raidjjowdble, bok (

there was no evidence that Mr Rhodes contemplated that the force at Pitsani should invade the Transvaal uninvited. The Chartered officials; says the report, were impressed with the advisability of delaying the advance, and Dr Jameson was repeatedly counselled to wait until the arrangements were complete. At the same time there is an absence of any peremptory demand from Mr Rhodes to Dr Jameson not to take action such as could be reasonably expected. The Committee finds that, on Mr Rhodes becoming aware of Dr Jameson's determination to invade the Transvaal forthwith, he and Mr Harris drafted a telegram to Dr Jameson, more than half of which had no reference to the contemplated movement on any account —' as I,' wrote Mr Rhodes, 'most strongly object to such a course.' The message could not be sent because the wire wag cut. It was, however, not despatched at all when telegraphic communication was restored. -- To use the Committee's words: — "As regards the Right Hon. Cecil Rhodes, the Committee can come to no other conclusion than that he was thoroughly acquainted with the preparations that led to the inroad, and that in his capacity as controller of three great joint-stock companies —the British South Africa, the De Beers, and the Gold Fields of South Africa—he directed and controlled the combination which rendered such a proceeding as the Jameson raid possible. It remains to consider Mr Rhodes' position with regard to Dr Jameson's entry into the South African Republic at the precise time when he did. There is no evidence that Mr Rhodes ever contemplated that the force at Pitsani Camp should at any time invade the Transvaal uninvited. It appears rather to have been intended to support the movement from within." The Committee declares that it cannot acquit Mr Rhodes of the responsibility for the movement, which was arranged with his concurrence. It points out that Mr Rhodes never informed his colleagues of the inroad, and that the High Commissioner and Sir Jacobus De Wet alone sent telegrams to arrest Dr Jameson's advance, but that the telegrams were disregarded. The Committee also find that the Chartered Company supplied all the funds with the knowledge of the London office(?), and that Mr Rhodes subsequently covered the amount with a cheque. The report is signed by the whole Committee and by Sir T. Upington, the Attorney-General, subject to the opinions expressed in a minority report. Another telegram gives a different version of the passage, which we have quoted above and it says : —" In the opinion of the Committee the Chartered Company's official at the Cape wete aware of the existence of the plot against the Transvaal, but the London office had denied all knowledge of it. The Committee, however, are of opinion that they ought to have suspected that something was wrong owing to the large payment for the ' flotation' of new concerns, which were really revolutionary concerns. This report declared that at the last moment Mr Rhodes did all in his power to prevent the invasion, and that he should not be held personally liable for the improper messages and acts of his~Stibordinates."