New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-06-03

Lord Roscbery leaves no room Tor uncertainty
concerning England's policy In Mid-Africa. his
answer 10 Frances protest. and perhaps to Ger
manv's. against his treaty with the Congo state
IS brief aud to the point England has made me
treaty. he SAYS. and intends 10 execute II; ana
no other Power has any business To Interfere.
That Is n bold II not an audacIous answer. and
II Is scarcely calculated 10 turn away Galilc
wrath or 10 win the favor OF the German mar
plots On some delicate grounds Of abstract
ethics it might be adversely criticised. Their"
IS in II an echo Of "hc simple plan that he shall
take who has the power. and hc shall Keep VINO
can" But Judged 10y current standards Of In
tcrnational morals and by the practical nccessi'
Ties Of the ease. it Is the only logical and ctcc-
tive answer 10 be- made
He might. indeed. have offered TN quoque" ;
but that ancient argument IS OF no avail In such
matters. There is scarcely a nation against
which II could not BE- made. II he had remind
ed France ~ her own ruthless seizure OF third
Of Slam. and of her actual attempt 10 seize TINS
very region on tie Nile over which the present
controversy IS raging, France would have re-
pliel with a cOuntcr-rcmnder OF similar doinSS
by England. and thus mutual rccrimInations
might he banded back and forth forever. No
from such rrproach, aud for any To assume Il
high moral tone In such matters Is mere liypoc'
r,sv They have been and are land grabbcrs all,
and the only ground on which they can properly
defend their conduct Is that of ability To com
mand success, and perhaps OF readiness to make
good uso of what they have seized.
What annoys France in this matter Is. part
IL. that England and the Congo State should
4.
have made a treaty without consulting her.
Still more II Is that march has been stolen
upon her and that the very region she was
sending out an expedition TO seize has been
seized by others before her Perhaps most or
all. however. It Is that England thus Indicates
once more her determination permanently To
nosscss the Land Of the Pharaohs. The Equa-
torIal Provinces and the Bahr-cNihazcl region
were formerly Egypts property and no other
Power has any legal title to them In dlsposing
Of them as she plcascs, therefore, England prac-
tic,llv announces to the world that what Is
Ervpt's is hers. aud that Egypt herself Is hers.
This IS further emphasized by the fact that
England claims by this treaty to have secured
nm unbroken domain from the Cape to the
Mediterranean She has done 80 only on condi-
ton that she Is the owner Of Egypt.
There will be storm raised against Eng
lands Liberal lingo Minister both by France
abroad and by Mr.. Labouchcrc at home The
great mass Of the English people WILL however
enthusiastically support him. and this treaty may
not be by any means the least effective Of his
campaign documents in the impending electoral
struggle The loyalty of the South African
colonisis. lately somewhat tried, will be abun
dainty restored and British prestige in all
parts Of the Dark Continent will be made
greater than 1t has been since the tragedy of
Khartoum AS for the ill-will of France. Eng
land would have had 1t anyway. as she has had
il for many years: and SO long as it does not
90 beyond technical political ll-wl 1t does no
espccial harm 10 either country.