Lord Milner: That would be inconsistent with the annexation of the whole. If the whole is annexed by us, how can you part with a portion of it?
General Smuts: The portion we gave up would then become a crown colony. The rest would be governed as proposed here.
Lord Milner: You mean that one portion would become a British Colony of the ordinary type, and the other portion a Protected Republic?
Lord Kitchener: Two forms of government in the same country would cause great friction. Our proposals are too divergent. From a military point of view, the two forms of government could not exist. We would be at war again in a year's time.
The meeting then adjourned until the afternoon.
During the adjournment the Republican Commission discussed the situation and sent General Smuts to talk over a few matters with Lord Kitchener and Lord Milner.
The Conference resumed at 4 o'clock.
Lord Milner: In consequence of an informal conversation between General Smuts and ourselves, Lord Kitchener and I have drafted a document, which indicates the form in which we think the only agreement which can be entered into must be worded. This is a draft document which we think the Governments can subscribe to. Our idea is that after it has been considered here, it can be submitted to the burghers, and you can ask them: "Do you agree to our signing it?"
The document read as follows:
"The undersigned Leaders of the Burgher forces in the Field, accepting on behalf of themselves and the said Burghers the Annexations notified in Lord Roberts' Proclamations, dated respectively, the 24th day of May in the year of our Lord 1900, and No. 15 dated the 1st day of September in the year of our Lord 1900, and accepting as a result thereof their position as British Citizens, agree forthwith to lay down their arms, handing over all Guns, Rifles, and Munitions of war in their possession or under their control, and to desist from any further resistance to the Authority of His Majesty King Edward VII. or his successors.