The Portland daily press., 1895-05-22
OVERREACHED AGAIN.
France Takes Advantage Of Our In
efficient Administration.
SEXES VALUABLE TERRITORY
CEDED TO OUR REPRESENTATIVE.

And Throws the Same Representative Into
Prison-The Government is just Com
mencing to Realize that Something Has
Happened in Madagascar.
Washington. May 2l.-The French govern
ment, acceding 10 the demands of the
United States has transferred the case of
ex-Consul John l.. Waller, to the ordinary
or civil jurisdiction. This action apparent
ly nullifes the sentence OF twenty years
confinement imposed on Waller by the
French military court in Madagascar and
indicates either his trial by civil Judiciary
or by ultimate release from prison. The
matter has reached stage whore the
United States government has ample eYi-
dence on which to base claim against the
the government of France. possibly inyolv-
ing the payment of indemnity for the treat
ment accorded Waller and for the abroga-
tion of the concession obtained by him of
valable rubber forests. Waller is still in
prison at Marseilles. and may be transferred
to some civil penal institution. The
| evidence In the case receiv ed at the State
Department is practically complete, ana it
is understood to contain some rather START
ling facts not hereto fore become public.
Edward Telfair Wetter lof Georgia. who
succeeded Waller as United States consul
at Tamatave. 1t has beeA claimed, did not
put forth his best efforts to extend the re-
lief of his government 10 a distressed citi-
zen of the United States. 1t is shown by
correspondence sent to the State Depart
ment. that the French government is sus-
picious Ethe rubber concessions secured by
Waller from the novas. was for the
purpose of providing .coaling station for
the United States naval vessels, and such
accusation was openly made in Madagascar
by partisans OF the French. Documents
now on file at the Stale Department assert
that after the French authorities refused
to con firm the concessions of the Hovas,
French citizens took possession of the
rubber forests, transferred TO the ex-consul
and French vessels have been taking away
great quantities of the product to the island
OF NJ Maritius and Bourl on. The concession
is situated on the sea. coa- tin the southeast
part of Madagascar. and affords many
cellent locations for coaling station. The
exact charge. on which Waller is tried is not
de6nitelysknown in the United States.
Newspaper dispatches have stated that
Waller WAS charged before military QUIT
with sending letter to the Hovas contain
ing a suggestion of a revolutionary project
against tho French authorities. 1t now ap-
pears the alleged letter was taken posses
sion of by the French through the applica tion
of an article in decres issued by the chief
of the naval division of Madagascar in Janu-
AIRY last, prohibiting all correspondence ex-
cept through the channel of the local post
Office. Waller it was charged. endeavored 10
send letter addressed to II. Teissier. u
merchant at Tanarav.o via Yatomandry. by
q Brit ish merchant ship. The letter W
mailed at Natal. and in the course of ne
journey to TanaIavio was deposited by the
British mail in Ta,natave postoffice. where
it was opened by the French officials. This
letter is said to have contained information
conc erning the strength and sanitary con-
dition of the Tamata garrison with other
details of a suspicious nature relating TO
French forces and fortifoations. asswell as
an enclosure from the editor of the Maau-
gascar News reflect ting on the morality of
the French officers ands soldiers, and de-
nouncing two American merchants as
French spies. Paul Bray, WalleT's stepson.
spent nearly the entire official day at the
State Department today, reading the papers
concerning the case, and late in the after
noon held an interview with SECRETARY Uhl.
He declined to discuss Walters case, but
expressed himself as highly pleased with
the steps the State Department are taking
In the matter. At Zanzibar, Bray was
obliged to leave a French vessel. on which
his stepfather was being conveyed to
Marseilles. but he secured passage Ey an
other vessel to that port, and lad an inter-
view there with United States Ambassador
Eustis.