Bridgeton pioneer., 1885-05-14
USELESS FOREIGN WARS.


The wars recently waged by France
against the Chinese in the province of
Anam, and that against the natives
of Madagascar. on the. African coast,
have thus far proved failures. So also
has the war in which the British have
been engaged in the Soudan, in the
interior of Africa Both nations, anx-
ious for the annexation of foreign ter
ritories, have spent millions of money
and lost thousands of precious lives,
and in the end failed to subiugate
either Of those countries.
In Tonquin, the largest province of
Anam, or Cochin-China, the French
have had a foot-hold since 1858, when
theyplanted a colony there. Since that
date there have beenmany conflicts be-
tween French troops and the natives,
until within year China proper be-
came partially involved, and a bloody
warfollowed. Anam alone has a popula-
ton of fifteen millions of inhabitants,
while China proper has four hundred
and fifty millions. When the French
came to battle with this vast horde of
half-civilized people they found that no
matter how many were killed others
places, and the war went on without
much apparent loss to China. Added
to the myriads of fighting men which
China placed in the field were the raw
ages of the floods and the fevers which
accompanied them Then the French
rulers began to see that nothing was
to be gained in warfare with such a
people and in such a country, and a
truce was had which resulted in re-
storation of peaceful relations between
the two countries. By the treaty
France is to retain her possessions in
Tonquin, but she practically evacuates
all other portions of the Chinese en-
pire, and retires with her prestige
somewhat impaired. In Madagascar,
where the population does not exceed
five millions, the French have been
unable to add lustre to their arms,
although they have had possession of
q part of the island since 1745, when
the French East India Company estab-
lished settlement on the Eastern
coast, on what is known as st. Mary's
island. Madagascar is in the Indian
Ocean, and subject to the fierce heat
which prevails on the African coast at
certain periods of the year. France
cannot fight the well disciplined troops
of that country and the heat of the
torrid zone, naturally, therefore, she
will be compelled to cease operations
in that locality, and leave the inhabi-
tants to govern themselves in their
own way.
England has Jared but little if any
better than France in the attempts
which have been made within the past
few years to conquer the Arabs of the
Soudan, in Africa. The fierce and war
loving inhabitants of that country
have contested the way, foot by foot,
until the flower of Englands military
have fallen victims to the heather fol
lowers of Ell Mahdi, and the terrible
heat of the African deserts. After
many battles and much expenditure of
blood and money, Her Majesty's Gov
ernment is no nearer victory than at
the beginning of the war in the Soudan.
1t can be safely said then that beyond
the small degree of progress in the way
of fanintroduction for civilization which
has perhaps followed the armies of
England and France in their attempts
to annex new territories, the late wars
have been useless, uncalled for, un-
necessary, and unwise.