Knaplund—A Study in British Colonial Policy 
13 
eign attacks, and benefitted important economic interests both 
there and at home.®^ 
Upon the cessation of hostilities®^ enthusiasts for the cause of 
union believed that it could be obtained by quick and decisive 
action. Lord Milner shared this view. He therefore advocated the 
suspension of the Cape constitution, whereby all the British pos¬ 
sessions would be placed more nearly on an equal footing and ‘ ‘ the 
restoration of self-government in all the colonies [could be made 
to] coincide with the establishment of federation.’’®® But Cham¬ 
berlain, who favored strongly the desired consolidation, refused to 
sanction coercive measures. Mindful of past mistakes he abstained 
from dictating to South Africa; Lord Carnarvon’s blunders were 
not without beneficial results.®’^ 
Although waiting watchfully. Downing Street was not inactive. 
Chamberlain himself called the attention of the South Africans 
to the benefits which might be derived from federation and ap¬ 
pealed to them to think of their country as a whole.®® And the 
numerous young men sent to assist Lord Milner in reorganizing 
and rebuilding the new colonies, proved to be active and persistent 
advocates of union. Milner’s ‘‘Kindegarten” combatted par¬ 
ticularism in all its forms and attempted throughout to direct' the 
thought and aspirations of the colonists so as to foster a spirit of 
unity.®® 
The work of reconstruction offered, indeed, favorable oppor¬ 
tunities for this. A common police force, the South African Con¬ 
stabulary, was created and a joint loan of thirty-five million pounds 
secured for the Transvaal and the Orange Eiver Colony.®® During 
the war the railways of the two republics had been seized and 
organized as one system. This was continued, and an Inter-Colonial 
Council was established which assumed charge of the railways. 
Wolf, Ripon, II, pp. 253-257; Sir William Butler, An AutoMography (London, 1913), 
pp. 404-455. 
The Orange Free State and the Transvaal were annexed by proclamations of May 
24 and Sept. 1, 1900. Peace was not concluded until May 31, 1902, by the Treaty of 
Veereeniging. For the texts of these documents see Eybers, Constitutional Documents, 
pp. 344—347, 514, 515. The territories of the two republics received the crown colony 
form of government. 
The Times' History of the War in South Africa, edited by L. S. Amery (7 vols., 
London, 1909), VI, pp. 66, 67. See also Mitchell, Life of Rhodes, II, p. 283. 
Harold Spender, General Botha (New York, 1916), p. 154. 
See speech at Cape Town, February 23, 1903. Mr Chamberlain’s Speeches, ed. by 
Charles W. Boyd (2 vols., London, 1914), II, pp. 109—112. 
W. B. Worsfold, The Union of South Africa (Boston, 1913), p. 121. Called Mil¬ 
ner’s “Kindergarten” because of their youth. 
J. Buchan, The African Colony Studies in Reconstruction (London, 1903), p. 245. 
