His Honour M. T. Steyn, State President, O.F.S., in the Veld.
Kroonstad,
March 24, 1902.
Your Honour,
Herewith I send you copies of correspondence which has passed between us and Lord Kitchener, as a result of which I, with the Members of the Executive Council, have proceeded hither with the object of meeting Your Honour.
We learn that Lord Kitchener has sent, or that he intended to send, the same correspondence to Your Honour, but did not know where to find you. His opinion was, that you were somewhere to the west of the railway. I have therefore obtained a copy of the communication intended for Your Honour and send this also herewith.
We shall wait here until we learn where and when we can meet Your Honour.
Will you let us have this information as soon as possible and by the shortest way.
I have the honour to be,
Your Honour's obedient servant,
S. W. Burger,
Acting State President.
The despatch riders reached President Steyn on March 26th, and handed him the correspondence. The President thereupon immediately sent a despatch to General de Wet—who was at the moment on his way to General Badenhorst—summoning him to attend the proposed meeting, and replied to the Transvaal Government as follows:—
To His Honour S. W. Burger, Acting State President of the S.A. Republic, Kroonstad.