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The peace negotiations between the governments of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, and the representatives of the British government, which terminated in the peace concluded at Vereeniging on the 31st May, 1902Kestell, J. D. (John Daniel)

History

The peace negotiations between the governments of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, and the representatives of the British government, which terminated in the peace concluded at Vereeniging on the 31st May, 1902

Name: The peace negotiations between the governments of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, and the representatives of the British government, which terminated in the peace concluded at Vereeniging on the 31st May, 1902
Author: Kestell, J. D. (John Daniel)

Kestell, J. D. (John Daniel)

South Africa -- History; South African War, 1899-1902

Though the greatest care has been taken to ensure that the translation
conveys to the reader exactly what the Dutch original contains, the
latter remains the official record, from the Boer side, of the Peace
Negotiations. The translator accepts all responsibility for the
English translation.

In anticipation of any critical remarks that may be made, it is only
due to state that the addition to the English translation of a few
facsimiles of original documents and the few verbal improvements are
by no means due to a desire to differentiate between the publications
in the two languages, but are merely the improvements which, as every
author knows, suggests themselves and are rendered possible by the
publication of a later edition.

The Reader will not always find the translation of the speeches in
idiomatic English, but it may be pointed out that in most cases that
defect is due to the translator having aimed at preserving, as far as
possible the stamp of originality as it exists in the original.

  _Pretoria,
      September, 1911._




THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS




CHAPTER I.

PRELIMINARY CORRESPONDENCE.


                                      ARMY HEADQUARTERS, SOUTH AFRICA.
                                                      PRETORIA,
                                                      _March 4, 1902_.

YOUR HONOUR,

By direction of His Majesty's Government, I have the honour to forward
enclosed copy of an Aide-Memoire communicated by the Netherlands
Minister to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, together with
his reply thereto.

  I have the honour to be,
    Your Honour's obedient servant,
                                  KITCHENER, General,
                       _Commanding-in-Chief, South Africa_.

TO HIS HONOUR, MR. SCHALK BURGER.


Aide-Memoire communicated by the Netherlands Minister, January 25,
1902:--

1. It is the opinion of the Government of Her Majesty the Queen that
the exceptional circumstances in which one of the belligerent parties
in South Africa is situated, which prevents it from placing itself in
communication with the other party by direct means, constitutes one of
the causes for the continuance of this war, which continuously without
interruption or termination harasses that country, and which is the
cause of so much misery.

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The peace negotiations between the governments of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State, and the representatives of the British government, which terminated in the peace concluded at Vereeniging on the 31st May, 1902

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