The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-03-30

worried Over the Action of the
Egyptian Debt Commission.


Egyptian Debt Commission.
PARIS, March 29.-The political world OF
France is again in a highly perturbed con-
dition and there are indications going to
show that the government seeks to retrace
some of the steps by which 1t has been
placed in the position of acquiescence in the
dispatch of an Egyptian expedition up the
Nile and the defraying of the expenses OF
1t out of the Egytian debt surplus. The gov
ernment will be interpeilated in the Cham
Der of Deputies tomorrow and the Ministers
will be under the necessity OF making some
kind of statement in reply. An important
debate IS expected to result. and there is a
feeling in some quarters that farreaching
changes Of policy may be announced.
The air is electric with expectation tonight
and numerous rumors are current Of grave
things that are in contemplation. Among
those which are circumstantially formulated
are, that the resignation Of NJ Berthelot as
Minister of Foreign Affairs, announced yes
terday, was connected with the wish of VI.
Bourgeois, the Premier. to recall Baron De
Courcel. the French ambassador in London.
that Frances naval reserve squadron has
been ordered to be placed on a war footing
and that France and Russia will convene a
European conference to discuss the powers
of the Egyptian debt commission to act
against the vote of minority OF the powers
guaranteeing the debt and to discuss also
the evacuation of Egypt.
There is a growing feeling among French
men that the entente between Great Britain
and the driebund as a whole is not as cordial
as it was believed 1t was when the Nile ex-
pedition was first announced. The signs of
the unreconciled attitude Of Germany to-
wards Great Britain have been keenly noted
in France for two weeks past and the con-
viction has grown that Germany, though
glad to avail herself of Great Britain's as
sistance to her ally, Italy, will not take a
more lenient view on that account OF any
other forward movements by Great Britain.
Whether the disturbed condition OF affairs In
South Africa gives France a hope that there
will be inserted the wedge to break asunder
again the newly formed friendship of Great
Britain and Germany is a matter OF surmis-.
But that France regards the alliance of
Great Britain with the driebund as less
formidable, because less well assured, is evi.
dent from many things. How far the French
Ministry will reassume the stiff attitude OF
the protest against the Nile expedition,
adopted in NJ. Berthelot's report OF his COM
munication to Lord Dufferin when the ex-
petition was first announced and subsequent
ly softened In face of the outbreak of un-
bridled French patriotism, is the question OF
first interest in Paris tonight, and which,
ii is hoped. will be answered in the Cham
Der of Deputies tomorrow.
The Paris correspondent of the London
Times says: There is no doubt that Nj.
Berthelot resigned rather than abandon his
prudent foreign policy as an instrument of
the home government A eemi-ofticial note
issued at midnight says that the active
squadron at Toulon has Received orders for
one of it's cruisers to keep steam up"