New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-15
4 FRESH AFRICAN SURPRISE.


Osman Digna is the new mystery man" of
the great African puzzle. He has sent to the
commander of Suakim proposals for the sur
render of Emin and a white traveller in eX-
change for the complete withdrawal Of the
British forces from the Soudan seabOard The
arrival of the achievements for which Lord
Randolph Churchill pleaded in Parliament has
increased the difficulty of carrying SualIim by
storm. Osman Digna Immediately has recourse
to diplomacy. He fguratively places on a
charger the heads of Emin and Stanley, in
whose fate all Christendom is keenly inter
ested. These heroes, he declares, are tho
Nlahdi's prisoners of war. If the English will
evacuate Suakim and thus relinquish their last
stronghold in the Soudan, these captives will
be released If they refuse to withdraw from
the town, both heroes will be put to death. This
is believed to be the ultimatun which Osman
has delivered to the British commander
Is this one of the deceitful stratagems of
Arab diplomacy or is it true that Emin and
Stanley are prisoners of war? These are QueS-
tons which the Government leader in the Com
mons prudently refrains from answering, al
though he is in undiSputed possession of the
contents of Osman Digna's remarkable letter.
He admits that the surrender of Emin and a
white companion, presumably Stanley, has been
announced by the Arab chief with dates, some
meagre details and a few prima facie proofs /;
but he confesses that the Government has no
means of knowing whether the allegations of
the letter are true or false. His attitude may
with propriety be initiated by those who at
tempt to discuss the latest phase of this fas-
cinating African mystery. Osman Digna, like
all ambitious and fanatical Arabs is notO-
rous liar. He may be telling the truth, but
the strongest proofs will be required before his
statements can be accepted as decisive respect
ing either Emin or Stanley. Such evidence as
he produces is suspicious. Emin's surrender is
reported by dervish leader at Lado as having
occurred on October 10. Stanley is not named
but Osman evidently desires his identity with
" the white traveller to be inferred since he
ncloses letter which the explorer carried
from the Khedive to Emin, and also specimens
Of the ammunition with which the Zanzibaris
in his escort were armed.
Osmans account may be wholly false, half
true or entirely accurate. Neither Emin nor
Stanley may be a prisoner; Emin may have
surrendered in October, but Stanley may have
retreated in the spring to Darfur Wadai and
the Niger Valley; or OSman may have sub
stantial basis for opening negotiations for the
evacuation of Suakim Discussion of the prob
abilities Of the case would be premature when
nothing is known respecting the movements Of
either Emn or Stanley for a twelvemonth. The
position, however, of the British Government,
which is suddenly called upon to reply to Os-
mans ultimatum, is most unenviablc. What
! ,l,or, in linn
upon so perplexing question is the con-
seriousness that Emn's sufferings and Stanley's
vcissitudes of fortune have been caused by
the ruinous and unintelligible policy which
England has pursued in the Soudan- If Khar-
toum had been defended from the first, as it
ought to have been, all the maSSacres, betray-
ais, crimes and misgovernment which have
followed would have been prevented. The
cowardly scuttling policy has involved ono
| misfortune after another.