The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-04-02
FRENCHMEN EXCITED
COMMENTS OF PARIS EDITORS ON
SIR EDWARD GREy's WARNING.
Hide Her FIas-Spnniards De-
feated by Cuban Rebels.

LONDON, April 1.-Sir Edward Grey's
announcement in the House of Commons
that France wou--- not be permitted to en-
croach on Englands African possessions is
still provoking saltics from French editors.
The correspondent in Paris of the Pail Mali
Gazette refers to the "hysterlcal extrava-
gance of the French press in regard to
Great Britain. and quotes Henry Rochefort
as saying: France is submitted to series
of humiliations in sending snips to Kiel to
salute the victors of Woerth and Wissem-
burg. But, worst of all, she has endured
the insults of Great Britain without protest.
Why does she not hide her f1ag?'
The Temps demands an apology a
reprisal, and says 1.-THE speeches of Ashmead
Bartlett and Sir George Curzon, Eastern
commercial traveller are of the slightest
Importance, but we are aghast at the indis-
erection Of Sir Edward Grey and Mr. Joseph
Chamberlain
The invasion of British territory in Africa
by the French refers to the contention be,
tween the two powers over the powerful
empire of Borgus which is situated on the
northwest of the British colony OF Lagos
The control of this region is regarded in
England as a matter of very great inn
portance Lagos is undoubtedly the most
f1ourishng West African colony of England
and the English are naturally anxious that
the French shall not be permitted to hem
1t in to the coast, as they nave succeeded in
doing in the case of Gambia, Sierra Leone
and the Gold Coast. Ever since the remark
able expedition of Colonel Monteil the pro-
visions of the Anglo-French agreement of
1850 have become exceedingly distasteful to
French colonial enthusiasts. The agree
ment of 1890 limiten french expansion on
the Niger to Say. From Say two imaginary
lines We're drawn, one eastward TO ,oarna
Porto Novo. BY tl.,s agreement the vast
empires of Sokoto and its dependencies of
British sphepe Of NaW in the
course of his expedition Colonel Monteil
visited Kano the capltal of Sokote, and
kouka, the capital of Bornou, notwith-
standing his knowledge OF the agreement
already mentioned, anu, according to his
version. established the mostly friendly re-
lations with the suItans of these two en-
pres. When the explorer returned to
France and made known The results attend
press began by degrees to place a totally
different Interpretation on the agreement of
pendent, and could not therefore be reckoned
as affected by the agreement in question.
Lately the same argument has been made
use of with more persistence even, as re-
CARDS Borgu. Now, before Colonel Monteil
set out on, his expedition, the Royal Niger
both with Bornou and Borgu. This fact
has, of course. been pointed out in the
pretensions The dsoute which faP had been
allowed to drop. for while, suddenly as
sumed a more intense, phase with the con-
NJ. Delcasse, then French colonial minister,
decided to send an expedition under an
dDlo OlHcef, captain DecOour, INTO the IN
terror of the Dahoman ---nterland. The ex-
petition was to push on northwards. annex
the Maize country, and dsregarding the
imaginary Say-Barua line, pass treaties
with the Bariba chiefs, whose territories
lie Immediately to the south of Borgu. 1t
was then to oblique to the east place Borgu
under French protection. reach the Niger
in the neighborhood of Barba, and proceed
up that river far as Say; thus cutting
off immense slice of the Lagos
hinterland and securing to France the whole
of the eastern bank of the Niger, as far
the limits of the empire of Borgu To
counterfeit this bold plan. the Royal Niger
Company, realizing that not moment
to be lost, obtained the services of Captain
Lugard, of Uganda fame, who proceeded in
hot haste up the Niger to consolidate the
commercial relations already existing be-
tween the company and the empire of
Borgu, and if possible to definitely place
that country under BRUSH protection. It
was then a race between the British and
French expeditions, and much satisfaction
was expressed by the London papers early
in the present month, when report was
RECEIVED that Captain Lugard had succeed
ed in outstripping Captain Decoeur in the
race for Borgu Whether this report is true
or not has not yet been made known;
but the French have evidently not aban-
doned their designs on Borgu. and serious
diplomatic difficulty between England and
France is inevitable.