NEWS OF THE WEEK.
AGAIN we can only say that suspense is the dominant factor of the South African situation. The Cabinet met on Friday, and presumably its decision will be known on Satur- day, but certainly not before we go to press. What the Cabinet had to decide was what step to take in regard to the final reply of the Boers,—which was certainly both negative and incon- clusive. Presumably they have formulated a scheme of their own for redressing the grievances of the Outlanders, and will tell the Boers that unless they now agree to this scheme they must be treated as a State intentionally hostile to Great Britain. No doubt the specific reforms demanded will be perfectly reasonable and moderate, but we have little hope that they will be granted. If the Boers meant peace they could have had it on easy terms any time this three months, As we have said below, they could have at once got command of the situation by a frank and generous offer of emancipa- tion. That knowing this they did not make such an offer is a sign that they would rather fight than give up Dutch ascendency in the Transvaal. That attitude is plucky, no doubt, but it is neither peaceful nor consistent with Mr. Morley's excellent ideal of race equality in South Africa.
