 During the debates, Smuts used his knowledge of both military and legal aspects, of government and of academia, to guide the delegation.His mastery of English, of Afrikaans, and of High Dutch allowed him to speak before others, and, unlike at Bloemfontein, no man dared to speak over the one who had so successfully attacked the Cape.Smuts' dominance of the table at Vereeniging allowed the doves in the Transvaal delegation to win.