"TREASON AT THE CAPE." A SCATHING ARTICLE.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 9876, 17 October 1899, Page 3

"TREASON AT THE CAPE." A SCATHING ARTICLE.

The Johannesburg Leader, of August 26th, in an article headed "Treason at the Cape," says: — It will be within the rocpllcctiou of the State Censor that a certain telegram from Bloenifonteiu contained a report of a conversational statement made by the President of the Free State. That statement was, in fact, tho rhetorical question, "How can the British Government bring arms and troops through tho colony while a Bond Ministry is in power?" It was answered at tho timo by the graphic retort, "My dear President, has it escaped your recollection how Frero sat down m his helmet and by one stroke of kia pen abolished tho Molteno Ministry." The suggested meaning of 'the speech is now justified by tho extraordinary behaviour of the Colonial Ministry, which, while every other port in Africa is closed against arms for tho Republic, permits the trail- J sit of Mauser rifles and cartridges, which have no other purpose than the destruction of Her Majesty's soldiers. We havo no wish to Bay anything unpleasant about the Capo Ministry; it might be regarded as "Gekweste Majesteit" in Pretoria. Sir Alfred Milner looks upon Mr Schrciner as an honourable man ; so are they all, they are all honourable moil. It was as patriotic and as honourablo as it is- easily explicable in Mr Schreiner to telegraph to Mr Smuts, 'Testina Lente." It is equally patriotic/ honourable, rtnd explicit conduct on the part of Mr Schre-iuor's Government to permit the importation of hostile arms by tho Free State. Mr Savor's unflagging endeavour to facilitate the military preparations of the Imperial Government may have seemed to have had a singularly unfortunate result, but no one would bUggest that Mr Saver is not an honourable man. There are gentlemen stationed near the railway lines from the Cape and Natal northward, with packages of explosives suitable for the destruction of bridges and culverts. They aro only less honourable than Her Majesty's Ministers at the Cape. There are British subjects in Cape Colony and Natal who own Mauser rifles and cartridges which they did not import either in their own name or through the ports of these colonies, but they remain in honourable possession of these arms. Of course, if many more Maifeers are imported by the help of the Capo Government, it will become quite easy to make somo story to account for the Mausers of the Cape farmers. We shall he able to say "Wo told you so" when that explanation is made. It would be absurd to suppose that Mr Sehrcincr's Ministry isj bound by tho same ties of duty and loyalty that bind His Majesty tho King at Lisbon to Her Majesty the Queen of Britain; even this Goterument had not expected that from tho Cape. It is not our business if Johannesburg finds itself surrounded and cut off by enemies, armed through the kindly Republican feeling; of Cape Ministers. If we were not gold bugs and capitalists and Randites stinking with wealth, as tho result of three years of "Magnanimity" on the part of Her Majesty's Government; if wo wero members, say, of the Boer Vereeniging in Natal, or of an Afrikander Bond in tho colony, we might be privileged to state that it was time that the hospitality of Her Majesty's Courts should bo extended to some men of honour. As it is, the people of Johannesburg are asking whether they really .ire, after all, British subjects or merely gold bugs, capitalists, and aliens with bankruptcy and enforced military service staring thorn in the face. Honour is easily come by, and who nre we that we should say "out upon this half-iaced fellowship.''

In consequence of the inability of n-any prominent players to take part in tho proposed Town v Count 17 Dr.iughts match to-morrow ni^lit, it has been decided to postpone tlio event to some more suitable evening, of which country players will have ample notice.