must take what we can get in order to help
them, even though the three millions is so trifling and the terms
before us so disappointing. The Commission delegated by us did what
they could, and all the members have our perfect confidence. Our
people are longing for peace, and if they know that we did our best,
they will be satisfied.

I want to add further that I am of the same opinion as Advocates
Hertzog and Smuts with reference to the difficulty of some of the
Delegates, that they have a definite instruction, and must vote
accordingly.

Commandant J. J. ALBERTS (Standerton) spoke more or less in the
strain of his former speech. He was in favour of terminating the war
by sacrificing some territory, but if that was impossible, the war
should in any case be concluded.

General DE WET was of opinion, with a view to the limited time within
which the Meeting had to decide, that, if possible, proposals should
be submitted to the Meeting.

General G. A. BRAND held the same view.

Field Cornet D. J. E. OPPERMAN (Pretoria) said: I have no definite
instruction from my burghers, except that I must make the best of the
situation when we have considered all the circumstances. It is well
that in this important matter we have men of different opinions, which
they express, because in that way we become well posted on all
matters, and are thus enabled to arrive at a good decision.

Unconditional surrender we can put out of our minds, because, in my
opinion, we have gone too far for that. It is as difficult for me to
decide to continue the war as to accept these terms before us. Before
I came here I was of opinion that we should continue the struggle
because we have already experienced too many hardships and too much
bitterness to have to give up our country to the enemy after all. My
burghers will stand by me if I tell them that we must go on, but if
they are informed of the condition of affairs over the entire country
as we know them now, then I do not believe that they will follow me or
any officer in maintaining the fight. My great difficulty is the
condition of the families with us. Formerly, when we still had food in
abundance, the enemy gladly took the families into their Concentration
Camps, but now that they know that our supply of food is almost
entirely exhausted, they refuse to receive any more families, in order
to force us to surrender on account of their fatal condition. All
provisions with which we supply them a