understanding with his trustees. This is clearly what happened, because the secret society
was established, and Milner used Rhodes's money to finance it, just as Rhodes had
intended.(4)
The creation of the secret society was the essential core of Rhodes's plans at all times.
Stead, even after Rhodes's death, did not doubt that the attempt would be made to
continue the society. In his book on Rhodes's w ills he wrote in one place: "Mr. Rhodes
was more than the founder of a dynasty. He aspired to be the creator of one of those vast
semi-religious, quasi-political associations which, like the Society of Jesus, have played
so large a part in the history of the world. To be more strictly accurate, he wished to
found an Order as the instrument of the will of the Dynasty, and while he lived he
dreamed of being both its Caesar and its Loyola. It was this far-reaching, world-wide
aspiration of the man which rendered, to those who knew him, so absurdly inane the
speculations of his critics as to his real motives." Sixty pages later Stead wrote: "The question that now arises is whether in the English-speaking world there are to be found
men of faith adequate to furnish forth materials for the Society of which Mr. Rhodes
dreamed."
This idea of a society throughout the world working for federal union fascinated
Milner as it had fascinated Rhodes. We have already mentioned the agreement which he
signed with George Parkin in 1893, to propagandize for this purpose. Eight years later, in
a letter to Parkin from South Africa, Milner wrote at length on the subject of imperial
union and ended: "Good-bye for today. Keep up the touch. I wish we had some like-
minded persons in New Zealand and Australia, who were personal friends. More power
to your elbow."(5) Moreover, there were several occasions after 1902 when Milner
referred to his desire to see "a powerful body of men" working "outside the existing
political parties" for imperial unity. He referred to this desire in his letter to Congdon in
1904 and referred to it again in his "farewell speech" to the Kindergarten in 1905. There
is also a piece of negative evidence which seems to me to be of considerable significance.
In 1912 Parkin wrote a book called
several pages to Rhodes's wills. Although he said something about each will and gave the
date of each will, he said nothing about the secret society. Now this secret society, which
is found in five out of the seven wills, is so astonishing that Parkin's failure to mention it
must be deliberate. He would have no reason to pass it by in silence unless the society
had been formed. If the existing Rhodes Trust were a more mature alternative for the
secret society rather than a screen for it, there would be no reason to pass it by, but, on
the contrary, an urgent need to mention it as a matter of great intrinsic interest and as an
example of how Rhodes's ideas matured.
As a matter of fact, Rhodes's ideas did not mature. The one fact which appears
absolutely clearly in every biography of Rhodes is the fact that from 1875 to 1902 his
ideas neither developed nor matured. Parkin, who clearly knew of the secret society, even
if he did not mention it, says in regard to Rhodes's last will: "It is essential to remember
that this final will is consistent with those which had preceded it, that it was no late
atonement for errors, as some have supposed, but was the realization of life-long dreams
persistently pursued."
Leaving aside all hypothesis, the facts are clear: Rhodes wanted to create a worldwide
secret group devoted to English ideals and to the Empire as the embodiment of these
ideals, and such a group was created. It was created in the period after 1890 by Rhodes,
Stead, and, above all, by Milner.
The idea of a secret international group of propagandists for federal imperialism was
by no means new to Milner when he became Rhodes Trustee in 1901, since he had been
brought into Rhodes's secret society as the sixth member in 1891. This was done by his
old superior, W. T. Stead. Stead, as we have indicated, was the chief Rhodes confidant in
England and very close to Milner. Although Stead did not meet Rhodes until 1889,
Rhodes regarded himself as a disciple of Stead's much earlier and eagerly embraced the
idea of imperial federation based on Home Rule. It was in pursuit of this idea that Rhodes
contributed £10,000 to Parnell in 1888. Although Rhodes accepted Stead's ideas, he did
not decide that Stead was the man he wanted to be his lieutenant in the secret society
until Stead was sent to prison in 1885 for his articles on organized vice in the
Stead in prison but was turned away. After Stead was released, Rhodes did not find the
opportunity to meet him until 4 April 1889. The excitement of that day for Stead can best
be shown by quoting portions of the letter which he wrote to Mrs. Stead immediately