Sir Alfred Milner, the Liberal Party, and The Boer War
Author(s)
McCready, H. W.
Abstract
A study of the efforts of Alfred Milner, British High Commissioner in South Africa from 1897 to 1905, to use his personal friendships with the Liberal imperialists, especially Herbert Asquith, Sir Edward Grey and Richard Haldane, to neutralize Liberal opposition to the Chamberlain Government’s South African policy. Milner’s efforts were successful during the Boer War and had the side effect of immobilizing Liberal Party activities in other areas. Milner’s influence ended when the Liberal imperialists united with the pro-Boer faction of their party to oppose the Conservative Government’s postwar proposal to import Chinese laborers into South Africa. The severance of the Milnerite connection and the resultant renewal of party unity was one important reason for the Liberal victory in the 1905 elections.
