The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-11-22
ANXIOUS FOR INDIA
MILLIONS AFFECTED OR TIRE T.
ENED BY DANGEROUS FOOD
SCARCITY.
RUSSIA PLAYING DOUBLE
GEAR Credited WITH NO CHARITY
FOR HIS DESIRE TO
ASSIST.
SLAVE BECOMES A PRINCE.
Marvellous Career Of Rabah Recalled
by West African Eve1ts-TrOubBe
I'm Liberia.

LONDON, Nov. 21-The situation In
India causes the gravest concern. Lord
George Hamilton, secretary of state
for India, in what the newspapers de-
clare to be a remarkable speech, has
admitted that u, 900 5000 people are now
affected or threatened with dangerous
scarcity, though it is thought the gov
eminent has some prospect of coping
successfully with the situation.
The unusual action of the Russian
newspapers in appealing for subscrip-
tions for the relief Of the Hindoos is
received here with considerable sus-
picion, especially as it is suggested
that the Russian government should
superntend the buying and dispatch
of grain to India. The. newspapers hint
that the main spring of such action
is that likely to be found in political
rather than in charitable motives. The
St. James Gazette, after pointing out
the absence of a British fund, and
confessing suspicion of the Russian
motives says: THE moral effect can
hardly help being bad, especially If
Russian agents distribute the money in
India"
The Berlin National Zeitung, COM
menting upon the affair remarks
1.-THE famine has given the Russians
the opportunity of recommending
themselves to the Hindoos as helpers
in time of need and as generous
friends, whereas Great Britain must
seem impotent as soliciting aid from
Russia"
A great deal of excitement has been
- 1ix IAe, NV -
mysterious expedition, which is being
arranged by the Royal Niger company,
which has massed a thousand native
troops at Lokoya, on the river Niger
and at Ibe, on the Benue while about
80 British officers have sailed to take
command of this force. The officials
of the Niger company maintain sill
ence respecting the destination of the
expedition, which is believed to be
either against the rebeIlious Ilorian
tribe, or to restore order in the sultan
of Sokoto's dominions. The French and
German newspapers express great
alarm, suggesting that the expedition
is a second Jameson affair, the idea
being to encroach upon the German
and French spheres of influence.
The trouble in the empire of Sokoloto,
which is the largest and most populous
in ali of the SOudan and which is UNI
der the control of the Niger company,
calls attention to the career of the
remarkable negro adventurer, Rabah,
who, from being a slave of Zobehr Pa
sha, has become chieftain of cen
trail Soudan, having conquered sultan
ate after sultanate. He lives in bar
barrie splendor and it is reported that
he now intends to invade the empire
of Sokoloto, which, being within the
British sphere, probably led to the
formation of the expedition. The Nj
ger territories, administered by the
Royal Niger company, under a royal
charter, cover about 100000 square
miles and contain a population vari-
ously estimated at from 100000 to
10000, 600.
The news from Liberia is also very
unsatisfactory. Natives of Sierra Lee
one, the British colong have been NAL
treated and their houses have been des-
troyed by citizens of the negro republic.
AS a result two British gunboats have
been sent to Monrovia, the capital of
Liberia, to insist upon reparation. In
the meanwhile the British mail boats
calling at Docktown and Grand Bassa
are not allowed to communicate with