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system of Colonial Representation in the Imperial Parliament which may tend to weld together the disjointed members of the Empire, and finally the foundation of so great a power as to hereafter render wars impossible and promote the best interests of humanity.” with Rhodes's "gorgeous" ideas for the "federation, expansion and consolidation of the Empire".*” The impact appears to have been mutual, with Rhodes giving Stead a gift of £2,000 to settle an adverse libel judgement and promising £20,000 to promote their ideas of imperial federation through the British media. In time, Rhodes was to show his con- fidence in Stead by naming him a trustee in one his wills. * Stead was also to have an impact on the Anglo-American com- ponent of Rhodes's imperial vision. It is noted by Quigley that Rhodes accepted Stead's proposal to modify his vision of imper- ial federation to make "Washington the capital of the whole organisation or allow parts of the empire to become states of the American Union".* According to Stead's own account (and Quigley's most likely source), it was during Rhodes's visit to England in February 1891 that the diamond magnate had finally:* ..expressed his readiness to adopt the course from which he had at first recoiled...that of securing the unity of the English-speaking race by consenting to the absorption of the British Empire in the American Union if it could not be secured any other way... | 1888 [H]e expressed his deliberate convic - U tion that English-speaking re-union was rstructed so great an end in itself as to justify . even the sacrifice of the distinctive fea - ischild to Spende , tures and independent existence of the ,onstitution British Empire. All that remained was to bring about this desired state of fidence in Stead by naming him a trustee in one his wills. * affairs, and in successive wills Rhodes continuously refined his Stead was also to have an impact on the Anglo-American com- envisaged secret society. In a letter accompanying his fourth ponent of Rhodes's imperial vision. It is noted by Quigley that will, written in June 1888, Rhodes instructed Lord Nathaniel M. Rhodes accepted Stead's proposal to modify his vision of imper- Rothschild (1840-1915)—his collaborator and financier at De ial federation to make "Washington the capital of the whole Beers and to whom he originally left most of his fortune—to organisation or allow parts of the empire to become states of the obtain the Constitution of the Jesuits and "insert English Empire American Union".* According to Stead's own account (and for Roman Catholic Religion" so the secret society could use the Quigley's most likely source), it was during Rhodes's visit to document as its charter.” England in February 1891 that the diamond magnate had But Lord Rothschild, although a supporter of imperial finally:* expansion, soon proved unworthy of this task. For one, ..expressed his readiness to adopt the course from which he Rothschild failed to meet Rhodes's had at first recoiled...that of securing immediate demands for assistance in the unity of the English-speaking race achieving his various schemes in Africa. by consenting to the absorption of the This frustrated the Colossus of Africa, who British Empire in the American Union if had apparently believed in the great power it could not be secured any other way... of the Rothschild name to work the all-too- H]e expressed his deliberate convic - numerous miracles he required.” In June 1 888, ton that English-speaking re-union was Lord Rothschild also seemed unable to Rhodes instructed so great an end in itself as to justify absorb Rhodes's ultimate imperial vision. . even the sacrifice of the distinctive fea - i Lord Rothschild to a ; The disappointment was obvious. Rhodes . oe tures and independent existence of the was to confide to his friend Lord Esher in obtain the Constitution British Empire. that Lord Rothschild "...is absolutely . incapable of understanding my ideas. I have of the Jesuits and This Anglo-American arrangement thus endeavoured to explain them ° nin. but I "insert English Empire became one ofthe central components of ns could see from the look on his face that . envisaged supranational enterprise, i it made no impression...and that I was for Roman Catholic not an obsession. Rhodes often simply wasting my time." The fate of Religion" so the secret blamed King George III for the loss of Britain's richest banker was to be : the American colonies (see epigraph), removed from Rhodes's subsequent society could use the and once lamented to Stead that "if we document as its charter. wills and replaced with an anonymous had not lost America...the peace of the trustee.” world [would have been] secured for all Eternity!" The postscript to his will of September 1893, for example, expressed his belief that the merger of Britain and the United States would "take the government of the whole world", leading to the "cessation of all wars and one language throughout the world". STEAD AND THE "ANGLO- AMERICAN RE-UNION" Rhodes was to find a more under- standing audience through his friend- ship with William T. Stead (1849-1912), editor of the Pall Mall Gazette and founder of the periodical, Review of Reviews. Stead was an ardent supporter of imperial- Elsewhere, Rhodes envisaged joining the British House of ism, conceiving it in Ruskinian terms of Britain's moral duty to Commons to the United States Congress, establishing an the rest of the world, which he defined as the "imperialism of "Imperial Parliament" that would sit for five-year periods, responsibility". He was a supporter of imperial federation, evi- alternating between London and Washington.” dent in the avowed purpose of Review of Reviews of "promoting Rhodes's vision can appear quite idealistic, even naive, in its the re-union of the English-speaking race".*! motivations. Quigley contends that Rhodes's utopian scheme for However, Stead had also been a member of the South Africa a world-dominating Anglo-American Federation was driven not Committee, which was opposed to Rhodes's brutal methods of by greed or other materialist wants but by a sincere belief in expanding British rule in southern Africa. Nevertheless, it was Britain's mission to spread its culture and values worldwide for an article by Stead in the Pall Mall Gazette, endorsing an the common good. However, Rhodes also made some quite "Anglo-American re-union", that had prompted Rhodes to seek rational calculations about British power, particularly its declin- him out during his visit to England in April 1889. Their subse- ing economic fortunes. He recognised that British trade was quent meeting was to have a profound effect on Stead, who was suffering due to "hostile tariffs" imposed by America and to put aside his previous reservations and write excitedly of his Europe. As he was to tell Prime Minister Gladstone, the only newfound admiration for Rhodes, proclaiming that he had never logical solution was the "further acquisition of territory", giving before "met a man who, upon broad Imperial matters, was so Britain a domain large enough to maintain tariffs against the rest entirely of my way of thinking". Stead was especially impressed of the world. "Great Britain's position depends on her trade," In June 1888, Rhodes instructed "insert English Empire _for Roman Catholic Religion" so the secret society could use the a a charter. 34 = NEXUS ; Lord Rothschild to obtain the Constitution | of the Jesuits and document as its www.nexusmagazine.com DECEMBER 2004 — JANUARY 2005