The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-22
France Would Better Drop the
Egyptian Question.
ENGLAND - NOT TO Dc sToPpko
His Men Are Grsat Soldiers, Tried In
Battle, but Are witAout Modern
Arms-when Francs Sounded Cor.
many ON tho ss'uAAa Question She
Rocelved . RebuR

Sopyflenteo oy the Associated Press.
London. March H.-France. 1t IL generally
believed here, 10 burning her fingers with
the Egyptian question. The French gov
ernmenf. II Is asserted. expected the CO.
operation Of Germany. but found she had
been anticipated by Great Britain, as the
Marquis OF Salisbury assured himself that
be had the support of Emperor william in
the matter. and the latter ID said to have
informed the British premier that Great
Britain could rely upon the support OF Ger
many and Austria II she aided Italy TIE
Marquis OF Salisbury, it appears, had not
ccnsulted with the Kongo Free State au-
tnorities before announcing the govern
ments decision. France consequently
FOUND herself confronted with plan fully
prearranged. and. 1t Is stated. she now
shows a disposition to climb down from
the attitude she assumed when the govern
ment issued Its note Of Wednesday last.
saying the proposed advanse up the Nile
was great surprise to the soyera.ueut OF
France and would serve to embitter the
anh-English feeling in that country at q
time when better understanding was
promised. and adding that Great Br:tain's
explanation that the advance is necessary
to the interest Of Egypt. Is viewed with dis
trust In France. The wording OF this note
fs now saddled on the premier N. Bour-
Geois. who. IT Is asserted. issued 1t without
SoiASuitik8 TIC rest Oh the minister's.
The opposition in France to the use OF
the Egyptian reserve fund to defray TIE
expenses Of the expedition to Donyola does
not avail. for. as the British under seere-
tsry OF state for foreign affairs. Mr.. Cur
zon, expressed 1t in the house Of commons
yesterday. there are two funds controlled
BY the Egyptian debt commission. One OF
these. the larger fund. is derived from a
conversion OF the Egyptian debt. and 1t re-
. MI var.t,u -
10 authorize the expenditure of the whole
or any part OF It. But the second and
smaller reserve fund. amounting to about
81. 800 900. can be used with the consent Of a
majority Of the commission, and Great Brit
ain has = majority OF the commission on
her side. even II France and Russia refuse
their consent. for the approval Of Germany.
Austria and Italy to the use OF the reserve
fund has already been obtained.
Then. again. French newspapers argue
that Egypt has no right to repel the Der
vlshes. taking the ground that II she does
90 they W1n be driven south and may dis
turb the French, Belgian and German pos
sessions In Central Africa. Such an argu-
ment naturally does not carry much
weight here. and the British newspapers
stsort that sverybodJ must prVrect hin-
sen.
In spite of the bold front put upon the
is feeling In Great Britain that the Nile
expedition Is likely to turn out to be some
thing in the nature Of disturbing a hor-
nets nest. and the support OF Italy. in case
matters assume serious aspect, is prob
lematical. The Russian traveller EziifYe,
who is thoroughly familiar with the situa-
ton. estimates that the forces at the dis
posal Of the khalifa number about 10000
men, all trained and disciplined. The kha-
fo ~ayA ~ xtAcc h,,t d
said they are. as a rule, Of obsolete char
acter. and that only 5000 Remingtons.
which form a part OF his store OF arms.
are serviceable. So far as artillery is con-
cerned. 1t il not believed that he has more
than the guns captured on the occasion Of
the defeat of Hicks Pasha. but II Is inti-
mated that. like King Meneiek Of Abys-
sinia. the khalifa has been secretly pur-
chasing arms and ammunition for some
time past. and II may be found that his
troops are quite as well armed as those OF
the Negus. and that the capture Of the
Soudan win not be accomplished without
the expenditure OF much blood and treas
ure, and that the end will not be attained
without drawing largely upon the British
Indian troops. as well as upon the British
troops now In Egypt
In fact, the more the matter Is looked
into the more serious the outlook appears.
and anything in the shape OF a picnic or
walkover need not be anticipated. The
Mahdists. as is well known, can fight with
terrible determination, skill and ferocfty,
and they can endure hardships beneath
which the best European troops would
speedily succumb. The khalifa's chief fieu-
tenants are Cheruf and vahldieshou. The
khalifa's flag is black: Cherufs Is green.
Indicating that he Is a direct descendant
Of the prophet Mohammed. and vahidie-
shou's is red.