any questions that might arise in a spirit of perfect
friendliness, or from believing that the President would be inspired,
on his side, by the same friendly feelings. It was his hope,
therefore, that much of the friction incidental to formal diplomatic
controversy might be avoided through the settlement of all lesser
matters by amicable and informal discussion between President Krueger
and himself.

This was no mere official pose. Milner never posed. He, too, desired
to eliminate the Imperial factor in his own way. He saw from the first
the advantage of limiting the area of dispute between Downing Street
and Pretoria; and he made it his object to settle as many matters as
possible by friendly discussion on the spot. The desire to avoid
unnecessary diplomatic friction, and to make the best of President
Krueger, was manifested in all he did at this time. In the course of
the preparations for the celebration of the Diamond Jubilee by the
British community on the Rand, the new High Commissioner was asked to
decide whether the toast of Queen Victoria, or that of President
Krueger, should come first upon the list at the public banquet. He
replied unhesitatingly that the courtesy due to President Krueger, as
the head of the State, must be fully accorded. On this occasion, of
all others, British subjects, he said, "should be most careful to
avoid anything which might be regarded as a slight to the South
African Republic or its chief magistrate."[27]

[Footnote 27: The incident is otherwise interesting as
affording the first sign of that confidence of the British
population in Lord Milner, which, steadily increasing as the
final and inevitable struggle approached, earned for him at
length the unfaltering support of British South Africa. After
the Rand celebrations were over, he was informed that his
advice had been put into effect with "very considerable
difficulty." The argument which had prevailed was this: "The
new High Commissioner is a tested man of affairs; we all look
to him to put British interests on a solid basis; and as we
do this, let us obey him in a matter like this."]

[Sidenote: Milner and the Conventions.]

While to President Krueger Lord Milner said, "Let us see if we cannot
arrange matters by friendly discussion between ourselves"; to the
Colonial Office he said, "Give them time; don't hurry them. Reform
th