BRITISH SOUTH AFRICANS AND THE BOERS. [To THE EDITOR OF
THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Under the above heading in your issue of the 9th inst " M. F. G." condemns Sir A. Milner's policy as harsh and non-conciliatory towards the Boers because most important and responsible posts in the Transvaal and Orange River Colony have been conferred on certain individuals, ten of whom he pillories. His charge against the ten is that they are "members of a party which the Boers consider (with some reason) to be composed of their bitterest enemies,"—an ab- surdly, and perhaps intentionally, vague description. If " M. F. G." means they were all members of the South African League, then he is inaccurate. If, on the other hand, he merely means to class them as so-called Outlanders, he is equally inaccurate, and has, moreover, yet to prove the Boer regards Outlanders with greater animosity than he does other Britons. Again, " M. F. G." is inaccurate in one at least of his bracketed comments—" Mr. Emrys Evans (Consolidated Goldfields) "—Mr. Evans being in no way associated with the management of that company. It seems to me that under the cloak of tolerance and conciliation towards Boers there lurks a feeling of intolerance towards Colonial officials occupy- ing the higher grades of the Service. The spectre of exclusive- ness, partially laid during this war on the military side—not, however, before contributing its quota to " regrettable inci- dents "—is now to be raised on the civil side. I know the feeling prevails, and I suspect " M. F. G." shares it. Fortunately, the High Commissioner does not, and it is to be hoped he will continue choosing his subordinates on their merits, regardless of which side of the Equator they hail from.—I am, Sir, &c.,
W.
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