* * *

The committee appointed to inquire into the Transvaal raid has sent in
its report to Parliament--or, to speak correctly, it has sent in two
reports, for the members could not agree.

One report says that, whatever justification there may have been for the
people of Johannesberg to rebel against the rule of the Boers, there was
none whatever for Mr. Cecil Rhodes to organize and dispatch an invading
army into the Transvaal.

This portion of the committee declares that the blame rests entirely on
Cecil Rhodes, notwithstanding the fact that Dr. Jameson did finally
invade the territory without direct orders.

They find that Cecil Rhodes seriously embarrassed the home and colonial
governments, by thus breaking the peaceful understanding between the
nations; and further, that he used his high position to provoke a
rebellion, and deliberately deceived the home Government that he might
be able to carry out his own personal plans. The Government in England
is declared to be entirely innocent of any knowledge of the affair, but
two officers of the colonial Government are found guilty.

To the surprise of everybody, the report contains no suggestion for the
punishment of any of the offenders.

In regard to Cecil Rhodes' refusal to produce the telegrams which they
asked for, the committee says that he ought undoubtedly to be
disciplined for his conduct, but that it would take so much time to do
so that it would perhaps be as well to let the matter alone.

This is one report.

The other is much stronger in its tone. It blames everybody concerned,
and says that there is little doubt that the raid was simply a plot
arranged to make wealthy men wealthier.

This report does not agree that the home Government is entirely
blameless. It says that it is a pity that the matter was not more fully
investigated, so that it could be thoroughly ascertained whether the
Government, and especially Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, was in truth ignorant
of the plot.

Both reports agree that the officers who led the raiders imagined that
they were acting under orders from the British Government, and that they
have been punished more heavily than they deserved. The second report
suggests that their commissions should be restored to them.

After the raid was over these soldiers were arrested and sent to
England, where they were tried for invading a friendly country without
proper authority. They were found guilty and sent to Ho