The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-04-07
BELGIUM AT FRANCES BACK.
EACH HAS INTERESTS IN COMMON
ON THE UPPER NILE.

The True Facts About the Van Ker-
Out-A Number of Belgian Forts
Erected on the Upper Nile Basin
The Allies in a Position That Puts
England ut Considerable Disad-
VantaRe-The AngIO-French strain
Intensified.
London. April 6-According to the lat
est foreign advices Belgium. both diplo-
matically and practically. will support
France in her claims in the Upper Nile
valley. The Belgian Congo State ex-
pedition under Van Kerchoven, which
started in 1898. effected march toward
the Nile, penetrating to a great distance
inland. This was all that was generally
known Of the expedition until very re-
Gently. Its movement was kept dark
Through a report of.Commandant Fran
qui, who was left in charge of the ad-
vanced post which Van Kerchoven es-
tablished, the fact has been disclosed
that number of Belgian forts have been
erected on the Upper Nile basin. This is
tho first authoritative information that
the expedition had penetrated to the Up
per Nile that has been made public
Commandant Tranquil has made a re-
port to the administration Of the Congo
state informing the authorities that the
Derishes are menacing his position and
urgently requesting that re-onforcements
be sent before IL shall be too late. on the
strength of this IL is said that King Leo
pold is projecting another expedition.
with the ostensible purpose OF strengthen
ing the outposts of the former one.
IL is supocted in the foreign onice how
ever, that under an agreement with
France, concluded in the autumn of 1894,
King Leopold will cooperate with France
in the establishment Of a Franco Belgian
position on the left bank of the Upper Nile
before the English can secure a similar
position and accurately define their
claims.
NJ. Hanatoux, the French minister of
foreign affairs, demands that England, as
the first step in the pending negotiations,
shall define what are supposed to be the
boundaries Of her sphere Of influence This
demand has acted as check to the policy
of the foreign Office
The sultan of Turkey holds the suez-
ranty Of the whole region in question. In
cluding the equatorial province formerly
governed by Emin Pasha. A section Of
the cabinet are reported to be In favor OF
making a decisive declaration. claiming
the whole valley Of the Upper Nile to be
within the British sphere, and denying
that the sultan has any rights in the Emin
territory. 1t Is believed that M. Hama
toux is willing to refer TO arbitration. or
a conference, but, on the other hand. II Is
suspected that England Is afraid to do
either, lest the question of her occupa-
ton Of Egypt should become involved. In
this mood, the British government shirks
the consideration of either question in an
impartial way. In the meantime the diplo-
matte advantage rests with France, and
the strain between the two governments.
despite the pacific words of NJ. Hanatoux,
becomes intensified.
The political situation is decidedly tame.
The conservatives, who have been in cx-
pectatOn that the House of Lords Will ABB
solutely reject the Welsh church disestdb-
lishment bill, have been badly shaken up
by well founded report that Lord Sails
bury IS in communication with the bishops
for the purpose Of advising them that the
better way to treat the bill would be sim
ply to alter 1t in committee in the House
of Lords so as to secure generous terms
for the church. Meanwhile, however, the
bishops refuse to be parties to a compro-
mise, but IL Is likely that they Will even
tually be brought around to Lord Sails
bury's way Of thinking.
The efforts of Archhshops Walsh and
Croke to reunlte the Irish parties have
not been successful. The Parnellites de-
manded the cession to them Of several
seats, but the anti -Panellites refused to
accede to this demand. Subsequently both
factions declined to entertain the sugges-
ton of a conference on the subject, and the
matter may. therefore, be regarded as hav-
ing fallen through.
Sir Henry James has introduced in the
House of Commons a bill imposing a PEN
atty for the utterance of asy false state
ments regarding the character or CON
duct of any candidate for election to par
Lament, which may be circulated during
a contest for a seat, and providing that
a seat shall be lost II the opposing candi-
date or election agent shall be found to be
responsible for such statement
Agents of the Spanish government are
active in England in making contracts
for the immediate delivery of large SUPPLIES
of military stores. ammunition etc, the
Spanish reserve supplies having fallen be-
low the minimum. These contracts are
for delivery in Spain to replace the drain
by the drafts from Cuba.
The foreign Office is in receipt Of a dis
patch from Sir Philip Currie, the British
ambassador at Constantinople, intimating
that certain Armenian bishops are urging
the creation OF an Armenian council,
composed OF clergymen and laymen, TO
administer the affairs Of the province un-
der Christian.