Extreme step had been taken in the direction of conciliation, and
that to do more would seem not to offer peace, but to implore it.
Unfortunately, however, the one thing which the British could not
offer was the one thing which the Boers would insist upon having,
and the leniency of the proposals in all other directions may have
suggested weakness to their minds. On March 15th an answer was
returned by General Botha to the effect that nothing short of total
independence would satisfy them, and the negotiations were
accordingly broken off.
There was a disposition, however, upon the Boer side to renew them,
and upon May 10th General Botha applied to Lord Kitchener for
permission to cable to President Kruger, and to take his advice as
to the making of peace. The stern old man at The Hague was still,
however, in an unbending mood. His reply was to the effect that
there were great hopes of a successful issue of the war, and that
he had taken steps to make proper provision for the Boer prisoners
and for the refugee women. These steps, and very efficient ones
too, were to leave them entirely to the generosity of that
Government which he was so fond of reviling.
On the same day upon which Botha applied for leave to use the
British cable, a letter was written by Reitz, State Secretary of
the Transvaal, to Steyn, in which the desperate condition of the
Boers was clearly set forth.
