Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-01
DON'T THINK 1T REAL
English Public Doubt The Sincerity Of
DR.. JameSOn'S Welcome.
THE PLOT OF DELAGoA BAY.
A Concession That Has n Story
VIII Make Emperor william
Angry-An Egyptian Crisis Immf-
nent-Cuban Resolutions.
fSneclal cable Letter.)

Jameson and his fellow-raiders was
genuine outburst Of public feeling, or
whether It was not largely due to plans
/ of the government to excite the country
/ against the Transyaal 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 arouslng the
country through the use Of paid agents
/ If the course followed by the government
in bringing Or. jameson home from Afri-
ca is reviewed IT will seem that every
/ thing was done to keep interest on the
strain. The Importance given the pri-
/ soners was far beyond their merits as
| figuring in recent events. Instead Oh
warming the return Of the nhbusterers
! I'm mystery and having them slde-Iacheu
/ by press representatives from point u
! point, the government could IL II n'Di ~
desired have let the affair nZzle out
/ quietly, and could have avoided all russ
/ i'm taking the prisoners to the Bow-Streel
Police Court. The Conservative paptIS
pretend that the demonstration ATTENDING
| the arrival OF the party viii emparrasS
! the government. tending TO adversely az
! feet the negotiations with the TransVaal'
| A more correct point of view Is that the
! demonstrations were designed 10 support
| the government in its impending attack
! on the T-ansvaal.
| The statement made IN the House OF
| Commons last night by Mr.. George y.
! Curzon. Under Secretary for Foreign Al
| fairs, regarding the attitude OF the gov
| eminent on the bimetallic question was
| open TO misinterpretation. Mt. Curzoh
stated that tho government had peen APP
| preached with view 70 the cOnVehiHs
| Of another international bimetallic con-
ference. Lord Salisbury, Mr.. Curzon
| added. had replied that he would consult
| with his colleagues in the Ministry be-
| fore giving a definite answer The Prime
| Minister had. however, Informed the
! Powers making the overtures that he had
no desire TO oppose the holding or sucn
! conference, II good grounds were SHOWN:
| but upon learning that the reopening OF
! the Indian mints was a necessary condi-
| ton TO an international monetary agree
ment. he had refused 10 continue the mat
ter to any further conclusion. II can be
stated that Lord Salisbury is willing to
consent to the reopening OF the indian
minis and TO keep them open under GER
tain conditions, but 10 theee conditions
neither Russia nor Austria viii consent.
In the mean time the negotiations are
blocked. Nevertheless the prospects that
the negotiations will be continued caused
some speculative buying Of silver.
THE DBLAGOA BAY PLOT.
Certain favored conservative journalists
have obtained from the Foreign ONCE
story of what they call the Delagoa Bay
plot which throws the clearest side-light
upon the Boer and German intrigue to Sc
cure roothold at Delagoa Bay. the capital
of the Portuguese possessions, in East
Africa, which would afford the best In
let and outlet 10 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 by DR.. jameson Into
the Transvaal. a Mr.. Milne. Porting lese
cOncessiOnaire, who held a frontage on
the fore-shore of Delagoa bay for dis
lance of seven miles, offered TO sell the
concession TO Great Britain for 10000.
The government, through Sir Hercules
Robinson, Governor of Cape Colony, and
British High Commissioner in South
Africa, declined TO deal with Milne. as
1t was expected that 1t would do, as no
thing was then known in England OF the
Transvaal row. Thereupon, President
Kruger, who for long time has been
making efforts TO secure a port for the
Transvaal. supplied Seeman & Fife,
German firm, with money to purchase
the concession, thus giving to German
subjects who are entitled TO German prO1
lection territorial rights on Delagoa bay.
The concession will soon be actively ope-
rated. Seeman e Fife control the trade
route. outside Of the railway. to the
Transvaai and the main routes to Swat
land.
DR.. w. j. Leyds. the Transvaal secre-
tary Of State, before coming to Europe
visited Delagoa Bay, and arranged an i'm
pOrtant part OF the Boer-German coup
against British possession Of that place.
AS Great Britain would rather go TO war
than 10 submit her rights to pre-empt
Delagoa bay TO the decision Of an Eu-
ropean congress, the fore-shOre affair at
first sight does not look 10 be OF critical
import, as that matter does not seem
worth fighting over; but, as soon as the
award OF the Swiss arbitrator is made
ia the matter OF the Delagoa bay rail-
way which Us expected TO result in the
granting of 10000 compensation
TO the American bondholders. Portugal
will put the railway up at auction. The
Boer-German syndicate Will then undoubt-
eddy bug II. and the Transvaal will have
secured its long-sought-for outlet to
the sea, and will be able TO carry on
a foreign 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 n chance to acquire
them; but the ArglO-Portugues conven-
ton can be practically anulled by the
German holders passing on their conces-
sion TO their government.
How Cecil Rhodes, who once offered
to buy the whole Delagoa bay district
for 100000. got tricked over this
concession Is unexplained. His reputa-
ton as a far-seeing politician has been
recently utterly shaken.
TALKED AT THE KAISER.
The Right Hon. George ]. Goschen,
First Lord of the Admiralty. has de-
livered a speech at Lewes, in which he
made an allusion to Emperor William
that is calculated 10 infuriate the German
newspapers. lie said that curious sue
cession Of events seemed 70 convince the
foreign Powers that Great Britain was
asleep and unable to assert herself, A
great German statesman, not Prince Bis
marck, seemed to have formed a depre-
ciatlng estimate Of this country. He had
been undeceyed, and he CMr. 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 Mr..
Goschen had reference TO Emperor Will
liam, and not Chancellor Won Hohenlohe. |
Extracting Mr. Goschen's prolixity, ne de-
clared that Great Britain would not con-
tract an alliance with any Power or
group Of Powers. She preferred ISOLATION,
relying on her own navy, with which |
she was ready TO face anything. Mr.. |
Goschen's speech was premilinary to his
producing the navy estimates.