he Governments,
according to the constitutions of the Republics, were not qualified to
make any proposals whereby the Independence of the Republics would be
touched.

When Lord Kitchener saw that he could make no progress he moved about
impatiently in his chair, and said, again with the same gesture as
before: that if the Governments wished he would telegraph their
proposal to his Government, but he could surmise--he did not know
officially what they would do in England--what he said was merely his
own opinion--but he could surmise what the answer would be.

The Presidents then expressed their desire that Lord Kitchener should
transmit the proposal that had been made by them; but the latter
thought that it was not desirable to communicate it in the form in
which it had been laid before him. He thought it could be drafted in a
more acceptable form. Thereupon he took a pencil and roughly drafted
the preamble of a cablegram. He read it aloud, and asked whether
anybody wished to make any remark upon it, in order to make the
cablegram still more acceptable, and whether they wished to appoint
anyone for this purpose. Mr. Reitz was nominated, and the preamble of
Lord Kitchener, with the points of the proposal (modified, as will be
observed), was thus drawn up, approved of by all, and, on the
adjournment of the meeting, transmitted to the British Government.

The telegram read as follows:--

FROM LORD KITCHENER TO SECRETARY OF STATE.
PRETORIA,
_April 12, 1902_.

"... The Boer Representatives wish to lay before His Majesty's
Government that they have an earnest desire for peace, and that they
have consequently decided to ask the British Government to end
hostilities and to enter into an agreement of peace with them. They
are prepared to enter into an agreement by which, in their opinion,
all future wars between them and the British Government in South
Africa will be prevented. They consider this object may be attained by
providing for the following points:--

1. Franchise.

2. Equal rights for Dutch and English languages in
educational matters.

3. Customs Union.

4. Dismantling of all forts in Transvaal and Free State.

5. Post, Telegraph, and Railway Union.

6. Arbitration in case of future differences, and only
subjects of the parties to be the arbitrators.

7. Mutual amnesty.