especially strained as a result of the strong pro-Boer sentiment
which was evident throughout the German Empire, and which found even
official expression in a much-discussed telegram of the German
Emperor to President Krueger.

Although the Boer War cost England much in lives, money, and
prestige, its gain far overshadowed its cost. By it Great Britain
won the richest gold-producing mines and the most wonderful diamond
mines in the world. It consolidated its South African possessions,
and, though hard pushed at times, she emerged from it richer and
more powerful than ever. Even if this war occupied public attention
almost to the exclusion of everything else, a few noteworthy events
happened during it. In 1900 the bill providing for the federation of
the Australian colonies under the name of the Commonwealth of
Australia was approved by the crown, and completed the consolidation
of another important part of the British Empire. In January, 1901,
Queen Victoria died, after a reign of sixty-four years, and was
succeeded by the Prince of Wales as Edward VII.

While the preparations for the coronation of Edward VII were in
progress the king suddenly was taken seriously ill and an operation
had to be made to save his life. His coronation finally took place
in Westminster Abbey in August, 1902. The rulers of all the
important countries of the world attended either personally or were
represented by important members of their families, and it may well
be said that no other event of modern times had brought together
such an assembly of the great of the earth. Once more England seemed
to have assumed a leading part in the affairs of the world, and the
nations of it apparently were not only willing but anxious to
acknowledge British power and greatness. Just previous to the
coronation, in July, 1902, Lord Salisbury had resigned the
premiership and had been succeeded by his nephew, A. J. Balfour.
Another feature of the coronation was the enthusiastic loyalty which
all the British colonies showed for the new king and the mother
country. This found even more definite expression in a series of
conferences which were held in November of the same year, 1902,
between the prime ministers of the different colonies and the
British Secretary of the Colonies. These resulted in resolutions
expressing a desire for a closer union of the various parts of the
empire and for an arrangement by which the trade with the colonies
should receive prefe