New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-03
CHASTISING THE KROUMIRS.
ORIGIN OF THE FRANCo-TUNIsIAN WAR.

A
Tr,SIs. Nav 6.-This quaint country. concerning
which 40 little is known in the United States. Is
likely to he for SONIC time to come TIE theatre Of I'M
rortant events In this Tunisian controversy now
raoine Italy ~ intensely jealous of France. and
France is suspicious and watchfu of Italian move
ments: and England snufis danger from both the
Rrpubc and her>ncighoor. Meanwhile, the armies
of the French Republic are moving steadily on. ana
are occupying strong strategic military points IN the
Re rency of Tunis from which it will be easy task
TO dslodge them. While | write news comes tn us
that a column of French troops has landed at SIOUX
Avras has advanced by way of Ref. and is now
encamped near Beja. station on the TuniSIan
branch Of the Algerian Railway about midway be-
tween the city N Tuuis and the Algerian frontier
Another column OF troops has crossed the frontier
from Alglcrs and having marched thruugh Por-
t,op Of the country of the Kroumirs. is now en-
can.ped at Souk-cl-Arba. railroad station about
midway hctw Beta and the Algerian frontier.
In addition TO this land movement, three French
rncn-of-war have come into port and are now Mt
anchor at Goulrttr. the seaport of Tunis. The
rositions occupied bv thcs' troops are well chosen,
and command the railway from the city of IunlS To
IN. Algerian frontier. On May - fleet of French
war vessels and transports appeared In the harh"r
Of Eizcrta aud demanded the Immediate surrender
of the for.s The Governor being without the
means of defence, complied with the demand; an"
in the afternoon of the same day body OF troops
was landed from the Transports and at once occu-
med the forts aud khaspa There ar now about
( 600 French troopS IN camp 40 BIzcria and they
are actively engaged IN repairing the old forts ana
i'm constructing new Notifications. BHcrta Is Doubt
loss one Of the very best natural harbor~ on the
North African coast and. with tnilinc outlay oil
money and Of engineering skill. II vii bcromr rPu"
10.
20 any IN the Mediterranean. II is large ana 'iir
and can easily bee mall. dcfcn,bc against attacks
from the land or sea. The French troops now o.
cupying Rinrta. acting in concert with Those be-
fore m,ntinn,d. give the French absolute military
,ontrnl of tine extensive and fertile valley oi the
Nedirr,lnh E,cr-thc Bngmdus II the an
c,rnts-prohably the most valuable and best
cultivated agricultural portion f The Re
rcucy This military occupation Of an I'M
pnrtant pari Of the Regency of Tums bj
French troops has boon accomplished without ans
formal declaration of war 10y the liry or the Re
puhllc. Indeed. both Governments are somewhat
dcnonstrativc in tlrlr declarations that they arr
nj prace with each other The Boy steadily and
obstinatcly protests against the invasion Of hi~
country. while France on her part declares that -h"
come, here rs freud and ally Of lhr l'y. Ih"
Arab soldiers and people have received. it's s1id
strict orders not 10 fire up'n or hghi 40 l"'
French hnt to protest against their advance. AMI
10 leave the responsibility with thr rrnch. WITH
a nowrriul hcrt lowering along thr coast. and al!
the most Important Strategic military points nrcu-
plrd by their troops with railway connecting 'hr
CIV of Turns with t,r French possessions 90 Asrr'
and the tclrgraplic wires connecting Iunl~ with
Europe in French haud-. IT Is easy 4" So" Mat the
French Rcpubhc X able to dictate DE- own terms To-
the Bcy. such l. The present conliiou "i affairs.
10 understand the cau,cS that have led ." these
complication, a bret review Of the events that
have occurred within the last ten years may b"
necessary. The whole u Al.rr, has lcconr a
French colony: i- ~ fact part of France. This
important and rapidly dc,rlop.us trench colony D..
l,nnndrd on the east by the Regency "i iun~. Ihr
nuntar, line between the iva ruun tflr~ has never
brrn established los SURREY aud u'hrid.N nt"V-
til-d lbs the two Governments. The trnrh au-
thoritr- hly" prrp">' "int commission T." 'itn-
ll,h boundary, hnt "a" lev ul"u "lir in"rnrr or
another. hts always delayed d"hnlt" H'ii"n. ~!
that thr frontier Is IN IMAGINARY id'h'r man I'"i
lmc The country Intending from the Mctlit"ril
mean tar back into the inferior T. m"uninn'u-.
wild and rugged. and l. INA ""."'H; 'iur d.
has ne, 60 been cNp.ntrd f. any 'nu-rrtbIr r>irui
b, .,rcIruct. Ini- Wild country "u 10" Iuui~ian
side ui the frontier j. uhIhlird los 20 numerous.
powerful and "dTllk" inh' "i Arabs. hh"Nh %" lI'
kruuuiIs. h'N are Mu~-uluHu- AMI ,liiW !" h
-uhIc,tS Of The Be-. th'J&h u Is e VII ~n""h i'
that for Iuorr than twenty Nrar~ ih"t hHN" fused
T., ia, p mir - the lev. lhtt have treated hl~
agents be- were ~,ut To- collie c taNc~ Wlih ri'n'~
and have sent them ont nt thrT country with
threats of violence They af". ia fact. Abs lnirt
laNlcs, and oItasr. His kr"u lIr TIM" is sad J."
number iui., Gn.pnh pH-"HS. Ih"y p"-~',- pi"p.
rrty- foch, herds. 'r~c- and camel, aud mrr'.
over they aIr Huc h"r-rihrn. hring hia'" ahd i,tr
less and arr well armed. About "il,r q year tho,
of their chiefs and such presents IL tnry SEQ 90 Il"
offer IN token ot tnrit allegiance ." thr luul>iIu
sovereign. hr~r Wild StNHgP AZ" upinld-. piiii'-
and robbers. Leaving their ilnck- and herds ". Do
thur old men, "onrn and children 800 their noun
tam ia,tno-oss, and mounted "u th"H u"t Ai1"
Los~ - thr~' mountain uilgauGH l"f 'rdi- Lave been
llr terror of then Algerian u"igithpt~. >W"npus
down upon some peaceful tilia-r and burning i. I'D"
hons = they would inuidrf thr pri ur u TIE
slightest resistance vas nirfcd cnui.uu unmrl,~.
nutrIgrs, aud gather all the houtN within thru
reach, a 81. before french uuppS could ice hfouE
ro the spot the rohhrtS would rccr"~~ the frontier
into Iunis and hLi shelter 100 the n"untIln-.
App,al- to the Boy were met hy PROMISES to pun
lsh The rubbcr,: but the 'ry however we'll disposed
Il may have been. did not dato attempt 10 tnIst~r
tLc tfi,e. nallN. the French have undertaken thr
oh Themselves. The invading force is SAID tu mum
her 90 300 men and IL moving iu three rnuiuii~.
hey seem to Ice drawing strong military cuI1ou
around the whole uutry occupied lbs the kroumiT
tribe | 10 the present tlmr there Il, - not So tu
to have been any serious lighting. and not mach
blOOIshcd. i"w skttmishrs ana such CaSuilllr~
have occurred - always attend the NOV ruru. of
any considerable body of armed men. But the pusl
lions alrcatl, occupied hy the rruch trnnps would
and that he l. ~ dead earnest. In fact. this move
mcnt of strong military force hy The French INTO
French have here prepared to- stay. If the cal
gcncies of the ease dcuand such a course. We Iu-t
now learn that another body of rruch troop- ha.
landed at Taharca and Is pushing forward through
the heart of the kIounIr country toward the points
the railway already occupied by trir forces.
Considerable uurl,nes- ~ felt 10y foreign resi-
dents. and most Of thosr living ~ the interior have
to the city for safety. The Bcy nud h- officers
APPEAR IL be- acting 90 good faith toward for
cienrrs and doing al in thcr power 10 preserve
ORDER ami 10 protect al classes from annoyance.
There IL, nutw outstanding, a growing ,ri,t of IN
security. The llrblrw-. who number fully 1000
IN the city of lunl,. aud who hold "A large portion
of the money of the country are IN stat, oi great
cxcitcmrut aud hundreds OF them are leaving thu
place. Thus far the cIty remains comparatively
Tranquil. The police force has hr,n doubled and