The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-08-19
FRANCE IN NORTH AFRICA.
An English Judgment Upon Her Designs
Against Tripoii.

When the French unceremoniousiy trans
feued the suzerainty of Tunis from the OF
toman Empire TO the French Republic, the
Porte. fearing that Tunis was but the first
leaf of the aitichoke, dispatched some regi-
ments to Tripol and took some feeble meas
urss to defend that province against further
development of the civliziug mission Of
France. Dispatches have been exchanged
between Paris and Cohstantin"ple which, to
say the least, have not been calculated TO al
lay i'll feeling. They are almost diveringly
dIslngenuous. The Partisan Tarfgfe assures
the Porte that as France answers for order in
Tunis, there can be no necessity for any anx-
iety as to the safety of the Tripolitan from
tier. The Turkish Government replies that
troops have only been sent TO discourage agi-
taiion and restore tranquility In Ttipoli. The
Sultan, indignant at the conquest Of Tunis,
refuses to admit NJ. Tissot TO parting inter
view, and the French ambassador quits Con-
stantinople vowing that such an insult shall
not pass unavenged. In Tripoli the Turks
are reviewing their troops, arming the Arabs
and strengthening their position against
French attack. The Arabs, bitterly incensed
against the advance of the French, hail with
enthusiasm the prospect Of Turkish assis-
lance In the coming struggle, and there Is
no doubt that The whole Of the Arab tribes
from Morocco TO the Red Sea would gladly
seize any opportunity to strike blow at the
encroaching Frank. The French maintain
that all the instructions In Tuns and Alge-
ria originate In Tripol. All the religious
chiefs of the African Mussullnans reside there
and from thence keep up constant COM
muuicaton with the Soudan on one side,
aud Kairwan, Tebessa, and Morocco on the
other. To crush the Arab revolt IL Is nee
essary, they maintain, to strike at the head
quarters OF Arab fanaticism, and IL would
seem that they were preparing to act on this
conviction.
If France invades Tripoli she invades the
Ottoman Empire. She never recognized
Tunis rs Turkish but Tripoli, even NJ. 81.
Hilaire admits to be part and parcel OF the
Sultans domnions. To cross the frontier OF
Tripol Is to go to war with Turkey. The
Turkish troops In Tripoli, who are under the
orders of one Hussein, a general who receiv-
ed his military education In France and was
wounded In the French ranks at Weissen-
burg and Reichshofen, will not requeisce
without resistance In the advance of the
French army. They will fire, If only In pro-
test, and then the Pore, invoking the princi-
pie of the integrity OF its empire, will appeal
TO all the European powers to defend Its out
lying province against French aggression.
The Eastern question will once more be
brought to the front, and the powers will
have to decide what course they will pur-
sue. Outside the French foreign Office there
are probably not two opinions as TO the de-
merits of the French case against the Porte.
An attack upon Tripoli would outrage inter
national law, violate tire alies to which France
has affixed her signatures. and endanger gen.
eral peace. But although all the powers
may agree as TO the lawlessness of the French
advance into Africa, II by no means follows
that all of them would be willing to put
veto upon that advance, On the contrary,
Its very lawlessness may secure the assent Of
powers anxious for precedents In similar en-
terprises In Europe and Asia. II France Is
allowed to invade Tripoli, what objection
can be taken to Russian invasion of Arme-
mia or an Austrian advance In Salonica?
Nor IL the desire to see established another
precedent for the high-handed spoliatlon Of
Turkish territory the only motive which may
lead some Of the powers to place m impera-
tive veto upon French designs or conquests.
IL Is SO obv iously TO the interest Of Germany to
encourage France TO plunge further and still
further into the Serbonian bog OF AfricaL
conquest, that the refusal to unite with the
other powers In checking the advance into
Tripoli may be anticipated with some degree
Of certainty. II may, In fact, be taken for
granted, that II the French really 90 to war
with Turkey they have not done 90 without
coming to preliminary understanding with
Prince Bismarck. The German Chancellor
Is said TO have declared some time ago that
he would Willingly give France much more
than Tunis If he could thereby purchase her
friendship and direct her thoughts from the
Rhine. II, therefore, France enters serious
ly upon the dsmemberment OF the Ottoman
Empire, there is not much probability OF any
united European action being taken to ar
rest her progress, so far at least, as II Is con-
fined to Tripoli. England will protest ener-
getically. Italy will support the protest
Russia may or may not Germany and Aus
tria will be silent, and France will be left
free TO plunge into an enterprise In which
she has everything TO lose and nothing to
A. a ~ a.
to those she Is already unable 70 control.
1.-THE object OF French ambition was mere
ly the annexation of Tripoli, there IL little
prospect that her policy would have more Sc
rlous consequences than the ABSORPTION OF
Tunis, If 1t were not for the possibility that
the Turks may elect TO fight. In that case
the resistance Of the Porte might bring about
It's final overthrow, and the partition Of the
Ottoman Empire Ia not likely TO be peaceful
iy accomplished. France, no doubt, may be
acquitted OF any intention Of forcing the dis
solution OF Turkey; but the invasion Of
Tripoli may precipitate such . catastrophy,
and France, once being embarked on that
enterprise, may not be able TO draw back.
IL Is well, therefore, that England and the
other powers should faee the possible conttn-
gencies of the immediate future In the East,
and determine at what point their interests
will render Ii necessary to intervene. There
are points In the African dominions Of the
Sultan to threaten which would compel Eng
land TO enter the field, and the interest OF
both nations will be best served by making
that fact clearly understood on both sides Of
the channel.
OfDonovan Rossz.
Mr.. o'Donovan Rosa Is likely to be kept
busy for awhile explaining some recent ut
ferances In hls naner. the limited Irish