You must encourage them to make fresh proposals which we will willingly receive." In this telegram, as the reader will have observed, the name of Lord Milner is mentioned.

Up till now we were dealing with Lord Kitchener alone, but at our next conversation the first-named was also present.
Both Representatives of the British Government insisted that we should negotiate with them, taking the surrender of our Independence for granted.

We could not do so.

We had repeatedly told Lord Kitchener that, constitutionally, it was beyond the power of our Governments to discuss terms based on the giving up of Independence.

Only the nation could do that.