The morning call., 1892-11-23
THE FRENCH IN AFRICA.

For some weeks nothing has been heard
from the French expeditionary force In
Western Africa: but now we learn that on
or about September 20 the army entered
Abomey. the capital of the kingdom of
Dahomey, and established communication
with Porto Noyo on the coast, having de-
feated Behanzin's army in pitched battle.
The kingdom can hardly be said to have
been conquered, but the Kings operations
will probably he confined hereafter TO
guerrilla movements. and the strategic points
will be held by the French. What they
take they will keep.
Ii is interesting TO observe the gradual
tightening of the French cord round North
west Africa. Operating from bases In
Algeria they have pushed their lines south
into the desert. and are laying line of rail
which, when finished. will connect Algiers
with Lake Chad. This will run through
the heart of the Soudan country. and will
cut all the caravan routes between
Western and Eastern North Africa
West of Algeria is The kingdom
of Morocco. and for that prize the English
are evidently disposed TO try conclusions
with the French. But the English are
long way from their base in this matter, and
they would not be likely to work from the
base of Gibraltar, while the French can
operate from Oran. Mr.. Gladstone has in
Egypt, perhaps, as much Africa as he cares
10 handle. He may make no objection
when the French punish the Sultan of
Morocco for protecting the slave trade by
despoiling him of his dominion. Beyond
Morocco there is a long stretch OF coast op-
pOsite the Canaries, which is claimed by
Spain and Portugal. Thus far the French
have acquieseed ia the Spanish aud POrtu-
gueSe claims; but as the African territories
are OF no pecnniary value to either nation.
and are, on the contrary, n source of ex-
pense. there will probably be no fighting
over them when the time comes for France
to round out her territory.
From Cape de Verde to Sierra Leone the
French are in undisputed possession. and
there is no rear line to their territory. a
French Deputy lately stated that it ex-
tended ten degrees east Of the hundredth
meridian, and the invasion of Dahomey i'm
plies that the Government at Paris is in
clined to this view. The French regard
Northwestern Africa as the Spaniards in
the sixteenth century regarded the Amer
ieas. They hold the whole country TO be
open to occupation and conquest. 1t is the
natives whom they consider intruders. A
few years ago. TO ayeBge the murder OF Eng
lishmen, Great Britain sent an army under
General W0lseley into Ashantes aud gave
the p0tentate Of that sovereignty severe
beating. But when they had beaten him
they speedily returned to their ships and
made the best of their way home. MOI so
The French. They have gone TO Africa to
stay, hoping, not unreasonably, that they
will have better luck there than they have
bad in TonQnin.
So the partition OF the Dark Continent
goes on. 1t Is rather odd, con sldering lis
fertility and IT'S vast range of valuable pro-
ductiOns. that this should be the first in
stance in history where the W bite race ever
seriously attempted TO gain a foothold in
any part OF Africa except Egypt. The race
which is known as Moors, which were
neither white nor black. did establish its
empire al points along the Mediterranean
coast, but it never crossed the desert of
Sahara. Il was the dream of Ximenes 10
spread Spanish dominion southwark from
Oran, and bad not Spanish advent ure been
diverted TO less perIous fields in the
Americas it might perhaps have been
realized. 1t was not till the reign Of Louis
Philippe that the French gained firm foot
hold in Northern Africa. Ever since then
it has been the policy of the French to
extend the frontiers of Algeria both along
line of the drifting sands. Now they have
attacked the continent on line ten degrees
north Of the equator. and when they have
made that line secure they will connect it
| with their possessions in the north.
Their immediate objective in their present
| operations is the River Niger, which takes
| its rise near Timbuctoo, traverses an ex-
| ceediDgly fertile and tbickly peoped terri
tory south of the Soudan country. and
emptIes into the Gulf Of Guinea. between
the Blight of Benin and the Blight of Biafra.
From Banda on the headwaters Of the
Niger. railroad has been surveyed to the
heart of Algeria distance OF over 1900
miles. With such road, and control of
the river by gunboats, France could easily
reduce Northwestern Africa to the condi-
ton of a French province, and would add TO
the French dominion territory ten times
as large as France itself. and which, setting
aside the desert, is capable of being made
as productive as that MAGNIFICENT enuntrv