the days of my life-第123章

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And　yet；　unless　I　most　strangely　misunderstood　him；　all　the　while　Mr。　Lyttelton　was　a　believer　in　the　plan。　He　was　personally　most　kind　to　me；　and　I　liked　him　very　much。　At　that　time　also；　as　his　private　secretary　informed　me；　he　wished　me　to　make　another　report　upon　the　possibility　of　applying　similar　principles　to　a　scheme　of　land　settlement　at　home；　indeed　I　was　told　that　it　was　settled　I　should　be　asked　to　do　so。　I　understand；　however　—　though　of　course　in　this　I　may　be　mistaken　—　that　the　officials　of　the　Board　of　Agriculture　put　a　stop　to　this　idea；　as　such　an　appointment　would　have　interfered　with　the　prerogative　of　their　department。　At　any　rate；　opposition　arose　somewhere　and　it　was　dropped。　The　upshot　was　that　the　work　was　thrown　away；　if　any　good　and　earnest　work　ever　really　is　thrown　away。
The　end　of　the　matter　may　be　briefly　summarised。　As　was　to　be　anticipated；　“the　bottom　was　knocked　out”　of　my　scheme　in　the　most　satisfactory　official　way。
The　Report　of　the　mittee　stated　that　—
Though　we　fully　recognise　the　zeal　and　ability　Mr。　Rider　Haggard　has　shown　in　making　his　investigations　and　preparing　his　Report；　and　trust　that　much　good　may　be　done　indirectly　by　the　ventilation　of　the　suggestions　that　he　has　made；　we　regret　to　be　obliged　to　say　that　we　consider　his　scheme　to　be　open　to　so　many　objections　that；　even　if　we　were　prepared　to　advocate　colonisation　in　principle；　we　could　not　remend　that　this　particular　scheme　should　be　adopted　。　。　。　。
Moreover；　we　feel　that　there　are　serious　objections　to　placing　any　such　body　as　the　Salvation　Army　in　the　position　of　managers　of　a　colony　dependent　on　money　advanced　by　the　Imperial　Government　。　。　。　。
Perhaps　on　the　details　the　mittee　was　right。　Who　am　I　that　I　should　question　its　collective　wisdom　—　even　if　it　had　been　“prepared　to　advocate　colonisation　in　principle”？　Yet　I　agree　with　Mr。　Lyttelton　in　the　remarks　that　he　subsequently　made　to　me；　that　the　good　that　would　have　been　done　by　the　adoption　of　such　a　scheme　would　have　infinitely　outweighed　its　disadvantages　and　the　possible；　though　improbable；　moary　loss。　However　this　may　be；　there　the　thing　ended。　The　somewhat　nebulous　remendations　of　the　mittee　included　“a　grant…inaid”　to　“be　given　by　the　Imperial　Government　to　the　mittee　formed　under　the　Unemployed　Workmen　Act；　for　the　purpose　of　emigration。”
Or　alternatively　—
“That；　in　the　event　of　that　proposal　being　rejected；　an　annual　grant…inaid　for　the　term　of　five　years　should　be　made　to　the　Emigrants’　Immigration　Office；　to　be　expended　by　them　in　the　emigration　of　suitable　persons　to　the　British　Colonies　through　such　Emigration　Societies　as　they　may　select　。　。　。　。”
These　remendations　were　dissented　from　by　Mr。　Herbert　Samuel；　the　present　Postmaster…General；　and　by　Mr。　H。　Lambert；　and　qualified　in　a　Note　added　to　the　Report　by　my　late　friend　Mr。　Wilson…Fox；　whose　premature　death　has　been　such　a　loss　to　the　public　service　of　this　country。
It　is　needless　to　add　that；　so　far；　the　Report　of　this　mittee　has　proved　perfectly　abortive。　A　strong　man；　such　as　Mr。　Joseph　Chamberlain　was　in　his　prime；　might　have　adopted　the　outline　of　my　ideas　and　made　something　of　them。　But　the　strong　man　was　lacking；　and　to　send　them　to　a　hybrid　mittee　of　mixed　views　was　only　to　ensure　their　murder。　It　is　always　so　easy　to　find　fault　and　make　objections。
For　me　personally　this　issue　was　painful。　I　had　worked　hard　and　in　all　honestness；　and；　like　many　better　men；　I　had　found　myself　thrown　over。　After　all　the　Colonial　Secretary’s　declarations　as　to　the　value　of　my　work；　etc。；　I　never　even　received　a　letter　of　thanks　from　the　Government；　or；　for　the　matter　of　that；　a　copy　of　the　Report　and　Evidence　of　the　mittee；　which　I　had　to　buy　like　any　other　member　of　the　public。　All　that　I　got　was　the　privilege　of　paying　the　bill；　for　of　course　the　small　sum　allowed　by　the　Rhodes　Trustees　did　not　suffice　to　meet　the　expenses　of　my　tour　in　a　high　official　position　through　that　very　expensive　country；　the　United　States。
Thus　my　mission　ended。
In　confirmation　of　what　I　have　stated　above　I　ore　important　letters　which　I　wrote　or　received　as　a　Special　missioner。
The　first　of　these　was　addressed　by　me　to　Lord　Rosebery　as　Chairman　of　the　Rhodes　Trust。
Confidential。
Ditchingham　House；　Norfolk：
May　20；　1905。
My　Lord；　—　You　may　know　that　I　am　the　person　who　was　sent　to　investigate　the　Salvation　Army　Colonies　in　America。　I　write　therefore　thinking　that　perhaps　you　would　wish　to　hear　from　me　in　the　matter。
First；　however；　as　one　who　has　for　years　taken　deep　interest　in　the　problem　of　the　congested　cities　and　the　depopulated　land；　I　desire　most　heartily　to　thank　the　Rhodes　Trustees　for　their　action　in　having　set　this　investigation　on　foot。
Very　briefly　the　results　are　as　follows：
On　the　whole　I　was　well　satisfied　with　the　Colonies；　perceiving　in　them　a　great　principle；　easy　of　adaptation。
I　proceeded　to　Canada　and　showed　to　various　members　of　the　Government　there　my　draft　reports。　Also　I　explained　to　them　my　scheme。
I　am　glad　to　be　able　to　say　that　I　was　successful　in　impressing　upon　them　that　this　scheme　is　quite　sound。　Mr。　Sifton　（a　great　power　there）　even　went　further　and　stated　that　he　considered　it　of　more　importance　to　the　Dominion　than　any　plan　of　preferential　duties。
The　issue　is　that　I　have　brought　home　with　me　a　despatch　from　Sir　Wilfrid　Laurier　granting　three　hundred　and　sixty　square　miles　of　their　best　land　for　the　purposes　of　the　scheme；　promising　as　much　more　as　may　be　required；　and　stating　his　firm　belief　in　the　practical　nature　of　my　scheme　。　。　。　。
I　speak　with　reference　to　Canada　and　other　Colonies。　On　the　home　side　of　the　question；　where　dear　land　and　awful　rates　and　District　Councils　have　to　be　faced；　I　am　not　so　sure。　I　have　offered　to　go　into　and　prepare　a　further　report　on　this　point　if　it　is　desired。
I　have　ventured　to　suggest　that　a　missioner　should　be　sent　to　South　Africa　and　especially　to　Rhodesia；　to　examine　those　Colonies　and　see　what　they　are　prepared　to　do　to　help。　I　have　great　hope　that　the　tobacco　industry　in　Rhodesia　gives　an　opening　to　the　small　holder。　I　think　also　that　your　Lordship　will　agree　with　me　that　a　British　population　is　desirable　in　that　country。
Believe　me；
Very　truly　yours；
H。　Rider　Haggard。
The　Earl　of　Rosebery；　K。G。；　etc。　etc。
As　a　result　of　this　letter　I　had　a　long　interview　with　Lord　Rosebery　in　the　course　of　which　we　discussed　the　whole　matter　in　detail。　It　was　the　only　occasion　upon　which　I　have　ever　met　this　remarkable　personage。　As　he　wandered　up　and　down　his　library　and　talked　of　this　and　that；　he　impressed　me　as　a　melancholy　and　disappointed　man　—　one　who；　in　a　sense；　felt　that　he　had　failed；　notwithstanding　his　brilliant　gifts　and　great　opportunities。　His　fine　nature　peeped　out　in　every　sentence　that　he　uttered；　also　his　disillusionment。　I　suggested　that　he　should　move　in　this　matter　in　the　House　of　Lords；　but　he　did　not　bring　the　matter　up　there；　as　a　Departmental　mittee　was　appointed。
Truly　the　appointment　of　that　mittee　was　wise　from　the　point　of　view　of　those　who　wished　to　put　an　end　to　further　agitation　on　the　subject。
I　also　received　the　following　letters　from　Earl　Grey：
Toronto：　May　20；　1905。
My　dear　Rider　Haggar