The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-03-22
A WAR FOR SPOILS.

The Associated Press dispatches from
Egypt tell moving tale. The ''holy
war; is on in the region Of the Soudan
and events are moving very fast in the
Afro-European complications. Pre-
mier Rudini has declared that Italy has
no idea of suing for peace with King
Menelek, and that the war will be
! continued at any cost. ". BerthelOt,
French minister of foreign affairs, has
/ demanded an explanation Of Great
Britain's forward policy in Egypt. and
! the car has sent the cross Of the Or
! der Of st George 10 his great and good
! friend the king Of AbysSinia. Wheth-
er the outcome will be a diplomatic
Donnybrook fair or a settlement of old
scores all around by an appeal to the
sword would test the skill lof the most
accomplished political prophet to fore
tell. The political atmosphere in Eu-
rope. however, seems full Of squalls.
and there may be great storm a-brew-
ing.
The highest military decoration in
the gift of the car Of Russia, ''the
Grand Gordon of ST. George" has been
bestowed on the negus Of Abyssinla
for wallOping the Italians. Now that
Great Britain has reinforced the ltal-
ians, the negus Will probably wish the
car would send fewer decorations and
more artillery.
One war cloud hardly disappears be-
fore another and more iminent takes its
place. England had not patched up an
arbitration understanding with Amer
lea over the Venezuela muddle before
Germany stuck in its African oar. And
now England is not marching up the
Nile to prevent the DerviSheS from
marching down the Nile. Neither is
it TO assist Italy although it does so.
A deeper plot lies behind and the ex-
plantations given in the house of COM
mons day before yesterday were no
explanations. The upper part Of the
Nile is the objective point Of this ex-
petition France aims to secure that
country and England is striving to get
ahead and occupy it first. Between
Khartoum and the lake region there |
lies a country which Englishmen like |
to think is their own. At one time it |
was under the government Of Egypt, |
when Gordon was commander-in-chief |
in the Soudan before the days Of the |
Mahdi, and Emin Bey was governor |
Of the provinces lying just north of
Victoria Nyansa- But the Arabs con-
luered all that region Egyptian au-
Lhority was overthrown and the power
Of Great Britain went with that of
Egypt.
1t is said that should France secure
possession of the Upper Nile the waters
IF the Blue and White Nile would be
Inverted. This would destroy all of
he historic Egypt and make it desert.
England could not afford nor permit il.
France recognizes that its interests in
equatorial Africa are threatened by
he advance up the Nile and it will de-
nand an explanation In the event
hat the explanation is not satisfactory,
var with England may follow. OF
course England viii make as satisfac-
DRY a statement as possible. 1t will
hardly hesitate to assure France that
he interests Of the latter are not men
ICED, and this may delay definite action
y the French 1t may give England
ime to push its army into the SOudan
nd possibly conquer that country as
Or as Khartoum. But then if England
ontinues to advance France will hest
ate no longer.