A Reuter's telegram from Pretoria published in the papers of
last Saturday summarises some curious revelations in the Volksatem. Several of the messages telegraphed from Europe by Dr. Leyds before the South African War are reproduced, and they show that there was never any real prospect of intervention by Europe in order to prevent the war taking place. Yet Dr. Leyds, as the representative of the Transvaal Republic, took the inexcusable course of recommending that British troops in South Africa should be attacked before they were too strong. On September 27th, 1899, Dr. Leyds, ignoring the wise advice of friends in England, telegraphed recommending that an ultimatum be sent to Great Britain, and that it be followed by an attack. Such firmness, he thought, would have an excellent effect. Finally, he tele- graphed ;—" Europe is greatly against England. All wonder why the Transvaal is losing time."
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