Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1896-03-26
WA CLOUDS DARKEN
THE EGYPTIAN SITUATION MAY
CAUSE A EUROPEAN WAR.
England Finds Much Opposition in Max
ing Preparations for Another Soudan
Campaign France is becoming Very
Uneasy, and May Cause Trouble.

Recent events in northeastern At
rica have brought forth the strongest
probability of clash between the Eu-
ropean poweas interested in that
country. The terrible reverses OF the
Italian arms at Adowa and the an
nouncement of Great Britain OF an
other campaign against the Mahdists
In the Soudan. beginning with move
ment upon Dongola, have attracted
the eyes of the world especially when
1T is so clearly seen that the British
are operating in unison with the
driebund. France has great interests
on the upper Nile and fears that the
| Egyptian advance TO Dongola covers a
British advance to Khartoum and to
Uganda and an interference with her
colonial expansion in Central Africa.
| The British occupation of Egypt is
sufficiently calling in itself, but more
so in its threats to French plans in At
RIGA beyond Egypt. NJ. Berthelot,
France minister of foreign affairs in
the cabinet meeting that he had asked
the British ambassador, the marquis
o. Dufferin, for information regarding
the proposed advance of British Egyp-
tian troops up the Nile and had
| pointed out to him the serious conse-
quences of such an advance. This
warning note may be preliminary To
more decided steps
The government and people OF
France are beginning to realize that
| the recent conferences at Berlin be-
tween the Austrian minister for for
| eign affairs, Count Goluchowski; the
Italian ambassador at Berlin. Count
| LAMA Di Busca. and the German inn
perial chancellor, Prince Hohenlohe,
under the auspices of Emperor William
of Germany, and with Great Britain
party TO the understanding
arrived at, had more signiti-
canoe than was generally admitted.
The Encouragement of the dreibund
with Great Britain as an active instead
OF silent partner in the arrangement
was evidently only the first step in the
direction of attempting to make alter
ations in the map of Africa with the
consent or support of the dreibund.
! AS one of the guaranteeing powers
TO the Egyptian bondholders, France
has more than the usual interest of
the other powers in the disposal
| of Egyptian revenues and she
may refuse to consent to the
cost of the Nile campaign being
charged to the Egyptian budget.
| France is not deciding upon the course
she will pursue without full under
standing with her Russian ally, and
it is announced that numerous tele-
grams have passed between Paris and
| 1T. Petersburg on the subject. 1t is
! feared, however. even though the dis
sent of Russia and France should hold
and the commissioners on the Egyptian
de bt should not vote the sum required
out of the Egyptian surplus, Great
Britain would herself supply the
money and men and make the whole
project distinctively British instead
of Egyptian enterprise, occupy the
Soudan in her own name instead OF
that of Egypt and enter upon further
aggressive action In Africa.
The British Begin to See the Danger
A London dispatch says: The minis
terial statement and discussion in the
house of commons fully establishes
that the British advance upon the
Soudan denotes the iniation of a policy
by the British government which may
be fraught with most far-reaching and
possibly disastrous consequences Ar
thur Balfour. speaking for the cabinet.
practically admitted that Dongola
would probably not be the destination
but only the hating place of the
Anglo Egyptian forces. His allusion to
the desirability of bringing British rule
to the Soudan were interpreted as in
dicating that the English government
is bent upon war. not of defense. but
of conquest of that whole section.
Unless popular cutlery stays Salisbury ;
hand it may well happen that the long
expected casus belli which is TO bring
about general European cataclysm,
may be provided, not by trouble al
Constantinople, in the Balkans, or in
the east, but by the clashing of French.
German and British interests in Africa,
and especially in the race now begun
in good earnest, for the possession OF
the unappropriated portion of the val
ley of the upper Nile.