gh
Commissioner all South Africa stood to attention. Seldom surely has a
representative of the Queen been put through such an ordeal of
examination and inquiry as that to which Sir Alfred Milner's record
was subjected by the people of South Africa. Not one man in a
thousand had heard his name before; it was as some one coming out of
the great unknown. The first feeling was that another experiment was
being made at the expense of South Africa; but almost before the
thought had formed itself came the testimony of one and another and
another, representing all parties and all opinions in England; and
the Uitlanders in the Transvaal began to hope and finally to believe
that at last they were to have a man to deal with who would exhibit
those qualities of intelligence, fairness, and firmness, which they
regarded as the essentials. Every word that was said or written about
the new High Commissioner was read and studied in South Africa. Every
reference made to him by the representatives of the various political
parties was weighed and scrutinized, and the verdict was that it was
good! Fair firm and able. There had not been a discordant note nor a
voice lacking in the chorus which greeted the appointment; and the
judgment was, 'They have given one of England's very best.'

The impression had somehow gained ground in South Africa that the
first act of Sir Alfred Milner would be to visit the Transvaal and
endeavour to arrange matters. The hearts of the Uitlanders sank at
the thought of even the ablest and best-intentioned of men tackling
so complicated a problem without any opportunity of studying the
local conditions and the details. It was therefore with undisguised
satisfaction that they received the new High Commissioner's assurance
that as the representative of her Majesty he had plenty of work
before him in visiting and making himself acquainted with the
conditions and requirements of her Majesty's dominions in South
Africa, the people of which had the first call upon his services. The
statement cleared the political atmosphere and had a distinctly
cooling effect upon the overheated brain of the Boer party, who had
by this time convinced themselves that Pretoria was firmly
established as the hub of the universe and that an expectant world
was waiting breathlessly to know what President Kruger would do next.

Mr. Conyngham Greene, an experienced member of the Diplomatic Corps,
who had been appointed towards the end of 1896