Mr Chamberlain has led us to believe that he has a policy which will
set these matters right. He has great faith in Sir Alfred Milner and
Mr Greene; he has also faith in himself. In brief, his policy consists
of conciliatoriness and firmness combined. If I have succeeded in this
letter to properly express my convictions and the grounds for them, it
will not surprise anyone if, with all my belief in Mr Chamberlain's
genius, I utterly decline to share this faith. Time was, and that not
many months back, when he might by other methods, not war, nor
necessarily leading to war, have broken down Kruger's obduracy, and made
him more sensible; but that time has passed. It is now too late. Time
was, and that not long ago, when the Johannesburgers might have imposed
terms on Kruger and, unassisted by outsiders, have rectified matters
themselves; but the opportunity was lost through Jameson's interference.