Committee have been particularly lively this week, On Tuesday, Sir John Wil-Joughby was confronted with a letter which he had'addressed to the War Office while in prison, In this letter which was marked "confidential," Sir John stated that he had entered into the Transvaal raid, and taken in other British officers, ''in the honest and bond fide belief that the steps were taken with the knowledge and assent of the Imperial authorities." When he was asked who had led him into this belief he replied that it was Dr. Jameson, It was pointed out to him that Dr. Jameson in his evidence never told my officers that the perial Government approved of my action in going to Johannesburg." Sir John, however, stuck to his statement, but at the same time absolutely refused to answer any questions as to private conversations between himself and Dr, Jameson. All the efforts of the Commissioners were unavailing to induce Sir John to reconsider his decision, and the Committee abruptly adjourned till to-day in order that Dr. Jameson might be recalled. But now that Dr. Jameson has been recalled the point is not very effectually cleared up. "Sir John and the doctor are each most reluctant to say anything which would reflect on the honour or truthfulness of the other, but each is evidently convinced that he is in the right, Sir John believes that Dr. Jameson did give an assurance that raid. De. Jim is sure that he did not. Pro-the Imperial Government approved of the
bably. a suggestion which comes from Dr. Jameson himself, is pretty near the truth. The doctor was convinced that his raid would be successful, and that success would assure him of the approval of Her Majesty's Government; he therefore went rather further than he ought to have done in giving his officers assurances of Government sanction of the expedition. When the point first cropped up at the Commission it seemed to give a little colour to the theory which Mr. Stead has so industriously worked out that Mr, Chamberlain had a guilty knowledge of the intended raid; but this idea has been quite dispelled by further investigation.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.