e added to the principal sum, and
that the payment of the principal be put off until twelve months after
the conclusion of the war.

Lord KITCHENER: Is it necessary to have this as a proposal?

General SMUTS: If the Government is prepared to meet this difficulty
it is unnecessary to make a formal clause of it in the draft
agreement.

Lord MILNER: According to my view our Government makes certain
promises in this document, and I am of opinion that all promises to
which reference will later on be made must be embodied herein. Any
matter on which it is desired to bind the Government must be in this
document and not outside it. I will not say that I want further
clauses, but above all I wish to prevent misunderstanding.

General SMUTS: In that case we are prepared to propose a clause to
meet this difficulty.

General BOTHA: We raise this point so that early measures may be taken
if we come to an understanding. If a great portion of the population
become subjects of His Majesty, it is to the interest of everyone,
especially of the Government, to see that these people are not ruined.
They will be thrown on the Government, who will have to care for them.
If we do not take any steps now then speculators who have bought up
debts will demand payment immediately after peace is concluded; and as
soon as the courts of law are open they can sue the debtors, and we
want to guard against that.

Lord MILNER: I agree with the Commandant General that this is the view
which I take of the matter, and that as soon as these people become
subjects of His Majesty they must be cared for. But I think it is
neither necessary nor advisable to lay down in all particulars the way
in which His Majesty's Government must care for these people. I think
that there is perhaps an idea--perhaps a natural idea--that because we
have fought the burghers therefore when peace is concluded there will
be a feeling of enmity towards them. The contrary, however, is the
truth. From the moment hostilities cease our desire would naturally be
to try to gain the confidence of the burghers, and to attend to the
interests of the people. But if we must bind ourselves beforehand with
reference to the manner with which we shall deal with all sorts of
complicated legal questions, this will certainly lead to
misunderstanding. Naturally if a certain amount of confidence is not
reposed in us, that we shall try to be a just government, and try to
keep the balance even betwe