Lord KITCHENER: That will be referred to the British Government. As
regards the amount, that is an essential point, but I am of opinion
that the amount is high. I would like to know whether it is understood
now that we are agreed on all these draft proposals with your
amendment? And that there are not any other matters? Because they
will have to be telegraphed to England.

Chief Commandant DE WET: We have no other matters.

Lord MILNER: The proposed telegram which I wish to transmit reads as
follows: "The Commission is prepared to submit the following document
to the meeting of representatives of their Burghers (if it is approved
of by His Majesty's Government), and to ask that meeting for a 'yes'
or 'no' vote." Is that good?

Chief Commandant DE WET: Yes, naturally, except that I cannot say that
that document is approved of by me; but I will abide by what the
Delegates do.

General HERTZOG: I would not like it to be understood that we will use
our influence with the Delegates.

Lord MILNER: I think that that is quite understood. I do not
understand that this binds the members of the Commission with
reference to the opinion which they may express before the Burghers.
It only binds them to lay this document before the people, if the
British Government approves of it. The telegram which I have just
read, and propose to send, makes this clear. I further wish to say
that we have departed very much from the Middelburg proposals, and I
believe it is fully understood that the Middelburg proposals are
absolutely dead, and if this document is agreed to and signed, there
can then be no attempt to explain this document or the terms thereof
by anything in the Middelburg proposals.

The meeting then adjourned.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1902.

The Commission again met Lord Milner and Lord Kitchener at 11 a.m. to
hear the reply of the British Government to the draft proposal
submitted to them by their Lordships.

Lord Milner read the following Memorandum: "In reply to our last
telegram drafted at our last meeting with the consent of the
Commission, and of which they have received a copy, the following
message has been received from His Majesty's Government: 'His
Majesty's Government approves of submitting to the Meeting for a "yes"
or "no" vote the document drafted by the Committee, and transmitted to
the Secretary of State for War by Lord Kitchener on May 21, with the
following alterations[4]:

[Footnote 4: Compare