Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1883-07-20
WAR IN MADAGASCAR.
History of the Complications
Which Threaten to Involve
France and England.
Why English Menace and French
Defiance Will Lead to
Open War.
The Third Largest Island on the
Globe as a Bone of Con-
tentiOn.
The Present Troubles.

The Present Troubles.
/ The main interest in the complica-
tions in Madagascar lies not in the
fact that French naval officer has
/ bombarded certain ports and occupied
/ this action of the French is but an in
cident i'll the outcropping of the policy
| that must in time result in conditions
as strained as those between England
and Russia For years it has been a
principle III the international policy
of Europe to regard Madagascar and
the adjacent coast of Africa as COM
mon property, subject to invasion
from no power The recent action on
the part of the French authorities IN
Madagascar is in furtherance of the
new foreign policy of that country,
which involves conquests in Africa of
such magnitude as will balance those
of England and Russia in central and
southern Africa
France has for years held certain
points in Madagascar, and has occu-
pied points on the coast of Africa as
colonies There has been for years
much irritation among the French au-
thorities in Madagascar. Some months
ago the Hovas, or principal tribe IN
Madagascar
ESTABLISHED MILITARY POSTS
on the west coast. France looked
upon this as a violation of the treaty
of 1871, and ordered the posts aban-
doned. The Queen refused, and Ad-
miral Pierre on the Goth day of May
bombarded and captured Majunga,
the principal seaport of the west coast; +;
he then went with his fleet to Tama
tave, the principal seaport on the east
coast, and occupied that on the 18th
of June. He started a column of
troops toward the capital, and sub
mitted an ultimatum to the Queen.
This was rejected, and the Admiral
took possession of the custom house
at Tamatave, destroyed the town at
Mahoma, Tenerife, and at Toule
Point Some of these We're old French
stations and We're simply reoccupied.
No political Importance would be at
tached to this, but the occupation of
the custom house and the ignoring of
the rights of the representatives of
other nations at Tamatave was inter
preted by the English as violation of
law. The French We're in such force
as to overcome all opposition made by
i'll their position.
The French authorities claim that
the treaty of 1911 sanctions prOtec-
torate over the northwestern part Of
the island, and the recent action of
Admiral Pierre is supposed to be the
first step in establishing that protec-
toratc on Il firm basis There is no
probability that England will consent
to this, and the remarks tnat Mr.
Gladstone made in the House of Com
mons ON Wednesday indicate that
there is more irritation in England
than appears on the surface. The
announcement cf the French Govern
ment that they will await advice from
Admiral Pierre may be regarded
SIMPLY AS A PRETEXT
TO gam time. France is evidently Ell
tering upon a foreign policy that in
wolves conquests in Africa. The ques-
ii NJ is whether other European pow
Nlc w III iulCliN " i1CI otCiDt-
ton of Madagascar and to her attempt
to occupy the Congo county i'll Afri-
ca. The fact that Madagascar has an
area about five tines as large az that
of Illinois, and that the resources are
i'll great part undeveloped, gives this
new departure of France special sig
nIticance.
Tho accompanying map makes clear
the locations and Importance of the
towns and districts occupied. Moiun-
ga. on the west coast, is the city bonn
barded by the French May 20. 1t was
| defended by a garrison Of 1000 men
n the forts. mounting thirty guns.
An evaSlve reply was returned to e
demand for Surrender, and the Hova.
or native, portion of the town was de
stroyed. The French factory and
American and Indian houses were not
injured, but the French authorities
| took possession of the custom house
and then proceeded to occupy all the
other Hova towns on that coast. or
rather to drive the native troops away
| from them.
| THREE WEEKS LATER.
the same sort of raid was made on
the east coast. On this coast there
ar 1900 British subjects, the greater
number being at Tamatave and engag-
ed III trade. The French admiral oc-
cupied this town. and according to the
English report, disregarded the pro
! tests of the British Consul and ignor-
ed the claims made by representa-
| tives of other nations
| THE PEoPLE.-CHARACTER OF THE Ma
| TIvES.
While the people of Madagascar are
not civilized in the European sense,
they are not a savage race. and some
OF the tribes can hardly be classed
among barbarous people. They have
never. for instance, fallen into the
cannibal practice of many allied races
in Polynesia; and the tribal instincts
are strong among all sections of the
! population They are law-abiding
and loyal. living in settled communi-
ties in villages which are often fortifi-
ed with considerable skill. with gov
ernment of chiefs and elders, dew
elopment of a primitive patriarchal
| system.
HISToRY--ATTENPTs To OCCUPY THE
! ISLAND.
In +ba loftar NJ, ~ IF tba Sa,-aptaanr !,