Had this been the truth, it would have been bad enough. Mr. Chamberlain was one of the Queen's Ministers, bound to obey the laws and uphold them. That he should have been aware that an attempt was to be made to steal the country of a friendly power, without making an effort to prevent it, would have been disgraceful enough.
Unfortunately, it appears that the blame falls on a personage in much higher position than Mr. Chamberlain.
It is said that no less a person than the Prince of Wales is named in these cablegrams as one of the men who knew all about the preparations for the Raid, and was perfectly willing that they should be carried out. Several other men in high positions in England were also in the plot to seize the Transvaal. (For the story of the plot, see The Great Round World, pages 513 and 667.)
The cablegrams were at one time in the possession of Mr. Chamberlain, having been given him by Mr. Cecil Rhodes, in the hope that the names of the men interested in the plot would make him use his influence to prevent any inquiry being made into the Raid.
London is shocked and indignant at these rumors, and insists that the cablegrams shall be produced and the truth known about the Prince of Wales' connection with the matter.
The Committee of Inquiry has, however, decided not to press the demand for the messages, and so the whole affair will be hushed up as far as possible.
Mr. Chamberlain was called before the Committee, and said, in regard to the cablegrams, that he had personally not the slightest objection to their being produced, but that they were unfortunately no longer in his possession. As far as he knew they were now in the keeping of the lawyer for the British South African Company.
Legal proceedings are being taken against this lawyer, to make him give the papers up.
The Committee, after hearing Mr. Chamberlain's evidence, said that the inquiry was at an end as far as they were concerned, but that they would report the refusal to give up the missing cablegrams to the House of Commons.
The chances are that this is the last that will ever be heard about the inquiry into the Jameson Raid.