gain in the steps
of Mr. Gladstone.

* * * * *

Since President Krueger has left the Transvaal, and Botha is negotiating
for a surrender, the pacification of the Transvaal needs no more war
operation, it has become a mere question of police arrangements.
Nevertheless Dr. Leyds is still as active as ever. He reminds us of the
Spanish Ministers who when they got the news that the Spanish fleet had
been annihilated by Dewey, manufactured forthwith a report to the effect
that Americans had suffered a defeat at the hands of the Spaniards. _Le
Petit Bleu_ does the same. The announcement--English troops
retreating--appeared in a marginal note the very day that Lydenburg was
taken. On Tuesday, 11th September, _L'Eclair_ made the following
announcement: "London, 10th September, Prince Henry sails back to
Germany. From well-informed quarters I learn that the main object of the
German Emperor's brother's visit was to discuss the ways and means of
preserving Transvaal independence."

Eight days previous to this Dr. Leyds had tried to make the world
believe that he had come to an understanding with the Czar. In both
cases the object aimed at was obvious. Yet though the Dreyfus affair
has taught me the all-powerful and far-reaching influence of a lie, I
confess that Dr. Leyds is a puzzle to me.

But his work is at an end now. He may have succeeded cleverly in
deceiving Krueger and Steyn what the European Powers really meant to do,
or in giving those same Powers garbled accounts of the state of affairs
in the Transvaal, and the true bearings of the Bloemfontein negotiation,
yet the fact remains that it is mainly through him that the South
African Republics have lost their independence. He could not like Mr.
Krueger, excuse himself upon being led astray by blind and ignorant
patriotism. He knew well enough how far the very help he depicted as
forthcoming could be depended upon, he knew that England was bound to
win in the long run, but there was only one thing which he cared for; to
make people in Europe believe that he had an important part to play in
the political arena. The war came as a welcome diversion to an endurable
position. And now that his country's interests have been entirely
sacrificed to his own, he may look upon his work with satisfaction.

APPENDIX E.

THE TRANSVAAL AND THE PEACE CONFERENCE HELD IN PARIS FROM SEPTEMBER
30TH TO OCTOBER 5TH, 1900.

SITTING OF OCTOBER 1ST.