The morning call., 1890-04-13
THE WAR IN AFRICA.

As Stanley nears his home lie begins to
talk. He has a good deal to say, which is
not altogether complimentary in its nature,
on the subject Of Emin PaSha; but, in the
present condition of that eminent explorer,
his character and quality possess no absorb
ing interest for the public. He has lost his
grip and people do not expect to hear much
of him hereafter
What does concern the world at large is
the fact that Upper Egypt and Equatorial
Africa, as far as the confines of the Congo
State, appear to have relapsed into the
hands Of the barbarOus Arab slave-dealers,
who viii undoubtedly convert them into a
desolate wilderness. The questions of the
hour are whether the civilized nations have
any right 10 Interfere to prevent this, and
if they have, how is the thing to be done?
The first question may be promptly
answered in the affirmative. From time
imnemorial Egypt has claimed sovereignty
over the banks Of the Nile from its mouth
TO its source, and though it has not ALWAYS
been convenient to assert the sovereignty.
1t has never been abdicated. The Khediye
would violate no treaty. nor would he ad-
vance any new pretensiOns, if he commits
stoned general to clean out the Mahdists
from the territory they occupy Emin bore
his commission when he pitched his tent at
G0ndokoro. Gordon acted as an officer of
the khedive when he went to Khartoum.
Stanley says that ii Emin Pasha had re-
fused TO come away he would have seized
his person at Wadelai under an order from
the khediye. Thus the whole of Upper
Egypt, as far as the lakes, has been openly
claimed by the Kbedive as Egyptian terri
tory, and the claim has not been disputed
by any foreign power. The authority to
consider the Mahdists rebels may be con-
sidered impregnable.
How can that authority be asserted?
Stanley implies, rather than asserts, that
1t could be done by a flying column, at
cost of Sl5,0OOOO0 McKinnon and his
friends hold that the only way TO suppress
the Mahdists and to crush out the slave
trade IS to establish a series of connected
IoTtS on the frequented routes of travel
from Massowah to khartoum, and from
Zanzibar to the Victoria Lake. Perhaps
the most effective criticism of Stanley's
plan Is implied in Wolseley's retreat from
BeTber. He Lad an ample army. He had
ample stores, supplies and munitions of
war. He could have drawn upon England
Tor any amount of reinforcement. lie is a
soldier of experience and judgment He
had very strong incentive to action in
GordOn's murder. Yet he retreated, tamely
and rather ANONYMOUSLY, leaving the bat
tle-sround in possession of the enemy. Il
Is hard TO see how any new commander.
with no larger force than the one he com
manded, could fare better than he. A sur
vey of the map of Equatorial Africa, studied
IN the light of the knowledge we possess of
the numbers and habits of the natives of
that region, leads to the belief that the ex-
tirpation of the Arab saye-traders, and the
establishment of civilization in Upper
Egypt, would be an enterprise of no mean
magnitude, and that S15,0O0,OOO would not
defray its cost. These Arabs will live on a
handful of dates and fight all day. When
they are beaten. they scatter and reform at
distance. They have no strongholds the
capture of which would involve their sur
render. They are animated by the strongest
instinct which impels mankind to daring
and tenacity-fanaticiSm. To crush out
such people will involve a considerable
outlay of means.