YEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE promised interview between Mr. Chamberlain and the Boer delegates took place on Friday week, and the minutes of the Conference were published on Wednesday. It was, it appears, preceded by important correspondence, the drift of which was that the Boers upon many points, and especially on the sums to be granted to the new Colonies, wished to re- open the agreement of Vereeniging. This Mr. Chamberlain firmly refused to do, and the generals gave way, declaring that their only locus standi was that of British subjects entitled to make representations to the British Government. The point was of the last importance, but we suspect that the generals understood all along that they must take up their second position. They are, however, embarrassed by their connection with the Dutch group, who pretend not to have lost hope, and who pressed upon them the necessity of at least trying to reopen negotiations instead of merely petitioning. The Colonial Secretary was, however, too keen and too resolute for that device to succeed, and he secured from the first the vantage ground of the diplomatist who grants but does not bargain, an advantage accentuated by his swift publication of the letters, which shatters the effort of the Dutch party to remain important. The "new diplomacy" does not always succeed, but in this instance it has been completely successful.
