The Story of the Boers.

THE POLICY OF MEDIATION.

Ir must at the outset be admitted that the prospects of ending this heartrending tragedy in South Africa by the honorable and satisfactory method of arbitration or mediation do not appear very promising when one remembers the determined efforts of Great Britain during the spring and summer of 1899 to exclude all possibility of a pacific solution of the South African question.

When arrangements were being made for the representation of foreign powers and states at the Peace Conference in Holland, it was felt that the differences between England and the Transvaal were in danger of becoming acute, and an endeavor was made to invite the South African Republic, as well as the Orange Free State, to send delegates to the conference. This step was strenuously and successfully opposed by Great Britain, because the latter claimed suzerainty over the Republic, a pretension in itself a violation of the convention of London. The Orange Free State at once refused the invitation on account of the slight upon its sister Republic. It naturally regarded the proceedings of the conference as farcical if the burning question of the hour in South Africa were to be eliminated.

Undaunted by the failure to secure the representation of the South African Republic, a further effort was made to introduce the Transvaal question in the conference with a view of its solution by pacific methods. This was as bitterly opposed as the first endeavor, and it is stated that Great Britain threatened to withdraw from the conference, and so wreck its international character, if any serious attempt were made in the direction of benevolent intervention or discussion in regard to the Transvaal.

No better fate attended the efforts of the Peace Party in England and in South Africa. The advocates of arbitration in England were browbeaten, insulted, and ridiculed, some even being subjected to personal violence, while in South Africa the Premier, Mr. Schreiner, Mr. Hofmeyer, and two-thirds of the Cape Colonists were treated as traitors and entirely ignored by the Imperial Government. The London Times even congratulated Mr. Chamberlain on his narrow escape from a pacific solution.

The negotiations between the two belligerents before the outbreak of hostilities exhibit the strong desire of the Republic to refer all disputes to arbitration, a point only partially and ungraciously conceded by Great Britain after many efforts, and then emasculated by the declaration of the High Commissioner that many of the questions at issue could not in any case be settled by that method.

The Transvaal Government was finally convinced that only two courses were left open-viz., an abject and dishonorable surrender on its part, or the arbitrament of the sword.

Turning from this brief review of the past to glance at present conditions, it would be idle to ignore the

fact that the reverses of the British during the past five months have inflicted so serious a blow upon the pride and prestige of Great Britain as to constitute for the time being a formidable obstacle in the path. of those who are advocating conciliatory methods. The proceedings in Parliament and the recent reports from England all tend to reflect the present determination of the British public to retrieve the disasters in South Africa, and practically to carry out the policy of "seeing it through" to the bitter end.

The exultation called forth by the relief of Ladysmith and the surrender of Commandant Cronje and his burghers to an overwhelmingly superior force appears so feverish and so unbridled as to awaken painful misgivings about the ultimate settlement.

But the end of the war is not yet within sight. The defensive campaign is likely to be less dramatic than the events of the last few months, but it will be protracted and wearisome even to the cosmopolitan financiers who are so largely responsible for the whole tragedy. Many things may happen before the British flag waves over the country on the northern bank of the Vaal, and the English people are fortunately endowed with a quality which has compelled the admiration of many foreigners, Frenchmen in particular-and that is "political common sense." It is only natural for a great and proud nation to feel the bitterness of serious reverses at the hands of a "few undisciplined farmers." events involving prompt action may easily happen in other quarters of the world where the interests of Great Britain are far more vulnerable and important than the issues in South Africa, while the shameful ineptitude which brought about this unnecessary war

must daily become clearer and clearer to Englishmen in spite of all the sophistry of adroit debaters.

The courage, gallantry, and heroism of their foes must also in the end appeal to such admirers of pluck as Englishmen are credited to be. The arguments in favor of ending this war are indeed irresistible. It is an outrage upon civilization as well as an insult to both those who brought about the Peace Conference and to those who took part in it. The century closes with a Peace Convention intended to avert the horror of war between nations, and lo and behold! immediately afterward a Great Power, termed the mother of civilization, is locked in a deadly embrace with two little States, the aggregate population of which does not exceed 300,000 souls, for reasons which have been rejected as insufficient and immoral by the conscience of the civilized world. On this subject there is practically only one voice in Europe outside of Great Britain. In the United States this voice is strengthened by the sentiment of the overwhelming majority of citizens. England will gain practically little in South Africa by victory. She is already mistress of the commercial and industrial developments; and the vindictive and pitiless settlement after victory, foreshadowed by Mr. Chamberlain, will add to and not diminish her embarrassment. A garrison of 50,000 soldiers will not prove a permanent guarantee of peace, because, though the Dutch may be defeated, they will never be conquered.

Passing from considerations of morality to questions of interest, it is easy to note that the financial circles and stock exchanges which gleefully looked forward to a" walk-over" and a triumphant resulting