sue L1,000,000; but in the Orange Free State nothing was
done, as the Government possessed the right to pay with receipts, and we
thought that a receipt was as good and as legal as a note; and
therefore, from my point of view, the two are of equal importance."

Commandant-General Botha: "I might point out that we should not insist
so much on the technical meaning of words--and this is especially true
for your side, because we have assembled here with the aim of stopping
the hostilities which cause you such great expenses every month; and our
meeting may be able to bring these expenses to an end. Therefore, if you
accept our proposal and pay these receipts, you might save almost enough
to cover the cost you incur. It would be much cheaper to make an end of
the war by co-operation than to let matters drift on. Therefore I
believe that it is the duty of both parties to be willing to make
concessions when obstacles appear."

General de Wet: "I can assure His Excellency, Lord Milner, that the
people always believed that should everything be lost they still would
be able to obtain this money due on receipts. If this is not granted, I
cannot imagine what the results will be. I am afraid of the
consequences; and I trust that you will do your best to meet our
wishes."

Commandant-General Botha: "It will not be a very large sum, but we
cannot give you the exact amount."

Commander-in-Chief de Wet: "You can well understand that our expenses
are only a drop in the ocean compared with yours. If I am right, the
Orange Free State had three quarters of a million when the war began,
and the issue of receipts only started when that sum was exhausted. Your
Excellencies must acknowledge that we have the same obligation of
creditor through these receipts as we should have in any other case."

Commandant-General Botha: "You have already many of our notes in your
possession. In one case alone there were fifty thousand hidden away, and
found by you. I have stated privately to Lord Milner that what we are
now striving to obtain has already been granted to us _de facto_ by Lord
Kitchener. In Lord Kitchener's Middelburg proposal the paying of the
Government notes was refused, but there was a proviso that the receipts
should be paid to the amount of one million. Should this now be
withdrawn, surely such a withdrawal would form a deviation from the
Middelburg proposal. The paying of notes is legal, and is on quite
another footing, and I cannot