The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-01
DELAGoA BAY A NEW DANGER.
BOERS AND GERMANS SAID TO BE
IN An ANTI-BRITIsH PLOT.

for the Purchase OF the shore
Rights of Portuguese COncessiOn-
airc-Great Britain Would Fight
Before Submitting Her Rights 20
Pre-empt 20 a European Congress.
London, Feb. 29.-The question is now
being asked whether the demonstrate
attending the landing here of DR.. Jane
son and his fellow raiders was a gem
uine Outburst of public feeling, and
whether II was not largely due 20 plans
of the government to excite the country
against the Transvaal. 1t would be, OF
course, difficult to obtain tangible proof
that the cabinet was resorting to the old
trick OF authorizing the use OF provoca-
tive agents. Some of the members of the
present ministry are, however past mas
ters in the quiet game Of arousing the
country through the use of paid agents.
the course followed by the govern
ment in bringing DIR. Jameson home from
Africa is reviewed it will seem that every
thing was done TO keep interest on the
strain. The importance given the pris-
oners was far beyond their merits as fig
uring in recent events. Instead of wrap
ping the relations Of the fili-
busters in mystery and having
them slde-traeked by press rep
resentatives from point to point, the
government could, II it had so desired.
have let the affair fizzle out quietly. and
could have avoided all fuss in taking the
prisoners to the Bow street police court.
The conservative papers pretend that the
demonstration attending the arrival of
the party will embarrass the government,
| tending to adversely affect the negotia-
uOns with the Transvaal. A more cor
| rect point of view is that the demonstra-
| tions We're designed 10 support the gov
eminent in its impending attack on the
| TransVaal.
Certain favored conservative Journal
| lists have obtained from the foreign office
a story of what they call the Delag0a Bay
| plot. which throws the clearest side light
upon the Boer and German intrigue to
secure a fOothold at DelOgoa Bay, the
| capital Of the Portuguese possessions, In
! East Africa. which would afford the best
inlet and outlet to the trade of the Trans
Vaal. There is no doubt OF the truth OF
| the story, which is to the effect that just
| prior to the raid of DR.. Jameson into the
| TranSvaal, a Mr.. Milne, a Portuguese con-
| cessiOnaire, who held a frontage on the
foreshore of Delagoa Bay for distance
| of several miles, offered to sell the con-
| cession to Great Britain for EOOW. The
| government, through Sir Hercules Robin
| son, governor of Cape Colony, and British
| high commissioner in South Africa, de-
| clined to deal with Milne, as IL was ex-
4 pected that 1t would do, as nothing was
then known in England Of the Transvaal
| row. ThereupOn President Kruger, who,
| for a long time has been making efforts
| to secure a port for the Transvaal, sup
| piled Seeman & Eiffe, German firm,
| with money to purchase the concession,
/ thus giving to German subjects who are
/ entitled to German protection, territorial
| rights on Delagoa Bay. The concession
| will soon be actively operated. Seeman
| & Eiffe control the trade route, outside
/ of the railway, to the Transvaal, and the
main routes to Swaziland.
DR.. w. j. Leyds, the Transvaal secre-
| tary of state, before coming to Europe.
| visited Delagoa Bay and arranged an inn
| portant part of the Boer-German coup
/ against British possession of that place.
! As Great Britain would rather go to war
| than to submit her rights to pre-empt
| Delagoa bay to the decision of an Euro
| pean congress, the foreshore affair at
| first sight does not look to be of critical
| Importance, as that matter does not seem
| worth fighting over, but as soon as the
| award Of the Swiss arbitrators is made
in the matter of the Delagoa Bay rail-
way, which is expected to result in the
| granting of 10000 compensation TO the
| American bondholders Portugal will put
| the railway up atauctton. The Boer-Ger-
| man syndicate will then undoubtedly buy
| it, and the Transvaal will then have Sc
| cured its long-sought for outlet to the
| sea, and will be able 20 carry on a for
| eign trade without having recourse to
| the British railways TO the south. The
| Anglo-Portuguese convention only pre-
/ vents Portugal from selling the province
| and harbor of Delagoa Bay without giving
| Great Britain chance to acquire them,
| but the AnglO-POrtugues convention can
| be practically annulled by the German
| holders passing their concession to their
| government How Cecil Rhodes, who once
| offered to buy the whole Delagoa Bay dis
| trict for 100000, got trlcked over this
| concession is unexplained. His reputa-
ton as a far-seeing politician has been
| recently utterly shaken.
The Right Hon. George J. Goschen first
| lord of the admiralty, has delivered a
| speech at Lewes. in which he made an
| allusion to Emperor William that is cal
| culated to infUriate the German newspa-
| pers. He said that a curious succession
| of events seemed to convince the foreign
powers that Great Britain was asleep and
| unable to assert herself. A great German
| statesman, not Prince Bismarck, seemed
| to have formed a deprecaung estimate of
TINS country he ha'd Deen undeceiVed
| and he (Mr. Goschen) hoped he was now
| convinced that Great Britain would not
| shrink from using the greatest physical
force to maintain her rights Everybody
believes that MIR. Goschen had reference
to Emperor William, and not Chancellor
Won Hohenlohe Extracting Mr.. Goschen' s
prohxity, he declared that Great Britain
would not contract an alliance with any
| power or group of powors. She preferred
| isolation, relying on her navy, with which
she was ready to face anything. Mr.
| Goschen's speech was preliminary to his
producing the navy estimates.
Official denials do not alter the belief
in political circles that there is a crisis in
Egyptian affairs. A credited semi-oficdaI
report has it that the Sultan of Turkey has
asked Great Britain to arrange a settle
ment of the Egyptian question with the
powers. on the basis of his retention of
suzerainty of that country. Germany
which is now the bette noir Of the foreign
Office at every point, is supposed to be in
citing the trouble.
The statement made in the House of
Commons last night by George N Cur
zon, under secretary for foreign affairs
regarding the attitude of the government
on the bimetalic question, was open 10
misnterpretation. Mr.. Curzon stated that
the government had been approached with
view to the convening of another inter-
national bmetallic conference Lord Sails
bury, Mr.. Curzon added, had replied that
he would consult with his colleagues IN
the ministry before giving a definite an
swer. The prime minister had, however
informed the powers making the overtures
that he had no desire to oppose the hold
ing of such a conference II good grounds
were shown, but upon learning that the re-
opening of the Indian uints was neces-
sary condition to an international none
tary agreement, he had refused to con-
tinue the matter to any further conclusion.
It can be stated that Lord Salisbury is
willing TO consent to the reopening Of the
Indian mints and to keep them open uu-
der certain conditions, but to these con-
ditions neither Russia nor Austria win
consent. In the meantime, the negotfa-
lrod fh.In