Quite extraordinary is the unanimity with which men of all political parties in this country have applauded the announcement that Mr. Chamberlain will shortly proceed to South Africa "to examine on
termination of the war and the settle-the spot. the problems presented br. the ment of affairs in the new colonies." Even the "Daily News" expresses its approval, though apparently not for the reason that it loves Mr. Chamberlain more but because it loves Lord Milner less. Still, when one remembers how Mr. Chamberlain used to be held up by the "Pro-Boers" as an example of "'blood-guiltiness," as the man who was primarily responsible for the war, it denotes a remarkable change of feeling in regard to the Colonial Secretary, and it is the more remarkable since one knows now that the mission has been undertaken largely at the entreaty of Lord Milner himself, and since the party in Cape Colony in favour of the suspension of the constitution clearly entertains the hope of converting Mr. Chamberlain in some measure to their views. There is no fear, however, that Mr. Chamberlain sill p: ove unduly pliable. He has already pointed out that the suspension of the constitution of a self-governing Colony by the Home Government is a step which, cen if it can be taken without the consent of Parliament, can only he justified by the direst necessity and ho will not lightly recede from that position. With regard to the Transvaal and Orangia. it is agreed even by the Boer leaders that nothing but good can come of Mr. Chamberlain's visit. perhaps the most interesting thing about the mission is, however, that it is intended to form a precedent, and that in future years we may often find a Colonial Secretary occupying the parliamentary recess with an official or semi-official visit to one or other of our distant colonies.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.