Billy on World Events - The Jameson Raid and the Armenian Atrocities
Billy took an intelligent and critical interest in world events.
He must have been a regular newspaper reader as his diaries kept up
a daily commentary on some of the more dramatic turns in warfare
and diplomacy. “John Bull” was still the dominant force in British
diplomacy. The British Empire was at its greatest and gunboat
diplomacy was generally considered the best way to deal with any
threat to the Empire. The major dailies reinforced the nation’s
xenophobia at every opportunity. It is noteworthy, therefore, that
Billy Hoad took a consistently sceptical and open-minded approach
to these unfolding events. There were few ‘alternative’ media or
contrary voices to encourage such a stance at the time although the
Liberal Party was becoming increasingly concerned about some of the
excesses of imperial adventurism. It seems likely that the Horsham
Free Christian Church helped shape Billy’s political consciousness.
There are many references in the diaries to addresses and
discussions at the church on international and social issues.
Monday 1st January 1896
New Year started with anything but bright weather, outlook ditto.
England and America at variance over the Venezuela Boundary,
Ashanti Expedition just landed and marching on Kumassi, and a
threatened trouble in the Transvaal (Salisbury in power) is giving
the Foreign and War Offices plenty to do, to say nothing of the
Armenian outrage particulars of which still fill the papers.
Saturday 4th January 1896
Dr Jameson’s Raid: The last stand of
the invaders, Near Krugersdorp, January 2 1896, Sixty Years a
Queen, 1837-97, p.183.
Serious news from Transvaal. Dr Jameson, at the head of the
Chartered Company’s police, crossed the frontier at the request (?)
of the “Uitlanders” of Johannesburg with the proposed intention of
proceeding to the latter place, but the truth of the affair has yet
to be learnt. Anyway, his force was attacked by Boers and totally
defeated, himself taken prisoner and (it’s rumoured) shot. The
affair will doubtless cause a strain between England and
Germany.
Thursday 9th January 1896
Today’s news from Transvaal rather brighter. Jameson and other
prisoners released. Crisis practically at an end as far as Kruger
is concerned. Hope it may be true but I rather doubt it. Nothing
exciting yet occurred to the Ashanti Expedition.
Thursday 23rd January 1896
News today of the death of Prince Henry of Battenberg on HMS
Blonde. He accompanied the force sent to Kumassi and took the fever
so was sent back to the base from thence on board, intending to
return to Madeira but died en route on 20th inst.
Friday 24th January 1896
Meeting held this evening at the Albion Hall on the Armenian
“Question” as the bills say. Whether they mean to question the
committal of the cruelities or the right of England to interfere I
hardly know. Anyway, there’s not much doubt in my mind on either
point, none on the former after hearing the personal experiences of
Prof. Thoumaian, an Armenian Christian exile who, while engaged in
educational work in his town, was arrested, imprisoned, tortured
and sentenced to death, but finally released and exiled. Quite a
romance in itself. His wife, a French woman being in England trying
to raise money for an hospital, hearing of her husband’s
misfortune, busied herself by buttonholing MPs in the Lobby, and so
obtained the aid of the Foreign Office to release her husband and
his companion.
The Cabinet discuss the Armenian
Question, 1896.
The meeting was a grand one in every sense, organised I believe by
Mr Marten. The platform contained clergy of all sects and men of
both political parties. Chairman Canon Daniel who, besides making a
good opening speech, conducted the biz. in a very able manner. Then
the Prof spoke with a slight foreign accent for about an hour. Such
a tale of sorrows, wrongs, oppression and fiendish cruelties I’ve
never heard.
The only thing is why are they permitted, first by the Sultan,
second by the European papers, and third by the Armenians
themselves. It seems to me like the old persecution of the Jews in
this and other countries, the principal cause of which I believe
was the fact of the Jews being more shrewd business men that their
oppressors. There seems to be an analogy to the Armenian affair.
They are Christians and go in for education etc. which seems to
excite fear and jealousy among the Moslem Turks.
After the address, a resolution was proposed and seconded by J.
Johnstone, MP and E Hubbard expressing sympathy with the Armenians
and also a hope that the Government would do all in their power to
force reforms on the Sultan (who after giving his word of honour on
the carrying out of the proposed reforms, seems to deliberately
“set” us and the other powers in defiance, knowing the difficulties
and possibilities that may arise should England or any other power
move in the matter unless in unison with the rest.
The meeting ended by various votes of thanks, the formation of a
fund for the relief of Armenians on the lines of a similar affair
20 years ago when the atrocities in Bulgaria wrung £150 from
Horsham. A record of the affair was handed to the Chairman. The
collection taken in the present case amounted to £7.8.0.
Saturday 25 January 1896
News confirmed of the Special Service Corps entry into Kumassi
without a shot being fired. Palaver held, King and others
prisoners, but as yet I fail to see by what right we are there or
what the ultimate end is to be?
Seizure of the Palace at Kumassi,
1896, from The Downfall of Prempeh: A Diary of Life with the Native
Levy in Ashanti 1895-96 by Major R. S. S. Baden-Powell, 13th
Hussars, Commanding The Native Levy. London Methuen & Co. 1896.
Photo credit.
Wednesday 27th February 1896
Dr Jameson, the ex-administrator of Chartered Company, was brought
up at Bow Street before Sir John Bridge on the Transvaal affair
charged I believe under the Foreign Enlistment Act. Only mere
formal evidence was given (after a great uproar in court) and a
remand granted. The removal of Dr Jameson and the other “raiders”
was a signal for another outburst of “feeling” [and] called forth
rather strong remarks from Sir John and no wonder!
Friday 5th June 1896
News to hand of a terrible accident in connection with the Moscow
fetes over the coronation. Two or three thousand people crushed to
death over a mad scramble after food and souvenirs of the
festivities. Very terrible affair also last week at St. Louis USA,
a large city destroyed by a tornado.
Destruction caused by the St Louis
Tornado, 1896, (Link to source site no longer available)
Wednesday 29th July 1896 Yesterday the trial of “Dr Jim” & co.
(Dr Leander Stanley Jameson, Major Sir John C Willoughby, Col. the
Hon. HJ White, Col. Rayleigh Grey, Major the Hon. CJ Coventry) for
offences under the Foreign Enlistment Act of 1870 (otherwise the
Raid in Transvaal) was concluded. The judges were the Lord Chief
Justice Hawkins Baron Pollock and a special jury. All pleaded “not
guilty” but the Court decided otherwise and sentenced Jameson to 15
months, Willoughby 10, R White 7, Grey, HJ White and Coventry to 5
months imprisonment without hard labour.
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