maintaining that England has that right. But if England has
the right to send _Rooibaatjes_ (_i.e._ British soldiers) to
kill my brethren in the Transvaal, then I have also the right
to try and prevent the same. My brother is nearer than
England. England can send troops, but whether they will all
arrive safely in Stellaland--that stands to be seen.'"--_A
History of South Africa_, by the writer. (Dent, 1900.)]

[Sidenote: Lord Robert's advance.]

No one was more aware of the reality of the Dutch disaffection in the
Colony than Lord Milner. Before Lord Roberts left Capetown for the
front he addressed a memorandum to him, in which the attention of the
Commander-in-Chief was drawn to certain special elements of danger in
the whole situation in South Africa as affected by the rebellion of
the Dutch in the Cape Colony. With reference to this memorandum Lord
Roberts writes, in the second of his despatches (February 16th, 1900):

"Before quitting the seat of Government I received a memorandum
from the High Commissioner, in which Sir Alfred Milner reviewed
the political and military situation, and laid stress on the
possibility of a general rising among the disaffected Dutch
population, should the Cape Colony be denuded of troops for the
purpose of carrying on offensive operations in the Orange Free
State. In reply I expressed the opinion that the military
requirements of the case demanded an early advance into the
enemy's country; that such an advance, if successful, would
lessen the hostile pressure both on the northern frontiers of the
Colony and in Natal; that the relief of Kimberley had to be
effected before the end of February, and would set free most of
the troops encamped on the Modder River, and that the arrival of
considerable reinforcements from home, especially of Field
Artillery, by the 19th of February, would enable those points
along the frontier which were weakly held to be materially
strengthened. I trusted, therefore, that His Excellency's
apprehensions would prove groundless. No doubt a certain amount
of risk had to be run, but protracted inaction seemed to me to
involve more serious dangers than the bolder course which I have
decided to adopt."

[Sidenote: Lord Milner's proposal.]

There cannot, of course, be any question as to the general wisdom