THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7417, 31 May 1902, Page 4

THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

i ; Definite news with, regard! to the Peace P; feegofcia.tions has been announced ot last-.. w J|r Balfour has stated that he will be mi ? ft position on Monday to make public thd ;' fesulfc of the negotiations. We' cihaJl not, ; s therefore, have to wait much longer before ; "we know whether th,e long-drawn-cut straggle in South A/rica is to end immediately or to be continued until the Boers ars' prepared to accept the terms which, Britain! Jias offered them. During the past few days very little has been divulged ? concerning tbe progress of- negotiations. The Imperial authorities have declined to " ;be drawn by frhe public, .and the latter, hi*. impatient though they are to be accjuaintp- ed with the course events are taking, will % he the first to admit that the Government §; has shown a very proper regard! for its jj> -jXesponßibilities in the matter. Beyond! all •■.-.' there Jw* been />n all sides a teu-

dency towards premature jubilation. The nation, is eager for peace, whiohj is a very proper feeling-, and it has not scrupled 1 to make this fact known, which is byi no means wise. The Boer, slim as he is, is just as apt as ordinary folk to jump at wrong conclusions, and it is not unnatural that the spectacle of the Empire going into raptures at the prospects of peace should inspire him with the belief that it is craving for peace, and means to 'have it at all costs. Nothing, of course, could l be further from the truth. Britain certainly desires peace, but she intends to attain it by measures which are consistent with her past policy in South Africa and by no others. She does not intend to waste the sacrifices she has made in the past^ony more than she means, for instance, to forego the annexation of the conquered territories. She wishes for peace, but rather than surrender the position which she has taken' up she is prepared to go on; fighting, and, moreover, to fight until she has forced the Boers to conclude peace on her own terms. This is, we believe, the feeling of nine-tenths of the British people. Under these circumstances it would be a 1 great pity if their impatience for t!he conclusion of hostilities should be the means of deluding the Boers to the contrary.