Evening journal., 1896-03-17
WAR TALK IN LONDON.
Britain's Move In Egypt the
Topic In Four Capitals.
MAY DISTURB PEACE OF EUROPE.

The Cars Decoration of Menelels Acts
Like Bomb In cermany-An Analogous
10 the Eject In England of Williams
Dispatch TO Kruger.
NEW YORK, March 17.-Julian Ralph,
The Journals London correspondent, ca
blos the following:
Two cabinet meetings, one I'm Berlin,
attended by great excitement and one in
London, Wolseley dancing attendance, in.
dictate a ticklish condition of affairs, which
many predict must end soon with blows
between the great powers.
The action of the car in comforting o
distinguished order on King Menelek IS
regarded In Germany in the same manner
as Emperor Williams telegram TO Kru-
gor was regarded in England two months
ago.
Here in England a two hours session
Of the cabinet in regard to the Dongola
campaign against the dorvishes followed
by discussion in the house Of commons,
seems 60 indicate that Salisbury means
TO push English control far down the Nile
to meet British holdings in Uganda and
Victoria Nyanza and to cement parts of
the great African empire, which is the
Tory dream.
If Salisbury really plans this, no is at
least logical. He has never failed or ceased
to condemn the Gladstone government for
ITS failure TO rescue Gordon. He has mover
ceased TO argue that tho Sudan should nev-
er have been abandoned
Sir William Haroourt, speaking like the
shadow Of Gladstone, warned the Tories
that II this first step was the policy Of adj
yanco IL was a step of the most perilous
character and ought TO be strongly CON
demned and It will be strenuously op-
posed.
Tho Logic of the Liberals.
This IS also logical on the Liberal side.
What he means by 'perilous character is
ensy TO understand, and many share his
belief Tho reason Is that France is keen
ly Interested in preventing tho southward
spread of English power In Egypt Who
ever will look up the map Of Africa will
SEQ that France, beginning with Senegam-
bia, on the west coast, has slowly orept
farther and farther inland until she now
holds fortified positions two-thirds Of the
way across.
But what the map does not show Is that
at loast one French expedition is believed
to have already proceeded far toward the
sources Of tho Nile. If France can hold
these sources, she holds Egypt at her NOR
cy, because she can divert the waters Of
the Nile and thus destroy the whole value
Of Egypt which is entirely dependent on
the annual overflow. England has long
more than suspected this to be Italy's de-
sign
Meantime, since the French are large
investors I'm Egyptian bonds, she is likely
any moment to protest against the use Of
any money in the Egyptian treasury for
the support Of tho present war against tho
dervishos Thus again at four cardinal
points is the peace of Europe put to an In
tense strain-in London, Paris, Berlin
and St. Petersburg.
Salisbury Playing with Fire.
find no one here who fancios that SYM
pathy for Italy is at the bottom of this
| sudden move on tho part of England in
| the Sudan. All believe It to be Tory
move to regain lost prestige, appealing to
the patriotism of the public to regain
/ what Britain lost when Gordon was kill
ed. Tho whole movement was as sudden
and unexpected as the explosion Of pow
/ der magazine.
Tho news made public by Mr.. Curzon
| in the house Of commons tonight to the
/ effect that 20, 600 doryishes were moving
against three objective points is, after all,
| given out by the government as nothing
moro than a rumor. 1t is no nows that
| the mahdi's fanatics are advancing on tho
i isolated Italian force at Kassala.
It was long expected that this would
| happen and It was foreseen that they
must die, for the mahdi's leaders are no
such gentlemon as Menelek proved him
self TO be- But the English arc not TO be
aroused by the plight Of Italy, while the
i Tories hope that by an effort to reconquor
the Sudan they may weld the whole ma
/ tlon behind them.
So once again Salisbury is playing with
| fire, as he did in the Venezuela case and
at tho time of Emperor Williams tele-
l gram.