Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-03-20
LUST FOR DOMAIN
At the Bottom Of the Franco.
English Difficulty.
JOHN BULL IN THE LEAD, so FAR

tory for Salisbury-Erench Statesmen
der the Circumstances. but See in Eng
Iand's Movements Danger to Their Own
Policy Of African Colonization.
PARIS. March 2o.-Egypt continues to
be the chief topic Of discussion in all cir
cles of this city. A dispatch from Rome
says 1t is admitted there that Great Brit.
ain has won a very neat game in the polit-
teal tournament which has been in pro.
Gress since the accession of Nicholas IL to
the throne of Russia. Ii is pointed out
that all danger of any serious objection
upon the part Of France. at least, to her
indefinitely continued occupation of Egypt
Is rapidly vanishing beneath the influence
of tho dreibund, now England's open
ally, and that the advance up the Nile is
probably only the FIRST move in another
game which will probably result in the
re-conquest Of the Soudan, the crushing
of the Mahdists for all time, and the an.
lexation Of an immense and-in places
fertile region to Egypt-and. apparently.
to Great Britain-which, while strength.
ening and enriching that country, also in.
creases the power of the hold which Great
Britain already has over the Suez canal.
the most important route to her Indian
possessions.
How Things Look in France.
Here in Paris, as the situation presents
itself and the intention of the different
parties to the European balance begins to
4
dent that France is not prepared to take
any extreme measures to avert the Nile
campaign. Not that she likes it any bet
ter than when it was first broached. 1t
would be hard to find Frenchman who
sees in the proposed campaign anything
but a plan of aggression on the part of
Great Britain. They all deny utterly that
there is any need for it as Il measure of
protection Of Egyptian interests against
the Dervishes. They protest that France S
interest in the welfare of Egypt is equal
to- or greater, than Great Britain's or the
other powers.
British Move Through French Eyes.
1t is argued that n large majority of all
the Egyptian fund-holders are French
citizens and that if Egyptian interests
We're threatened by the Dervishes France
would have rs much interest in protect
ing them as Great Britain. The only pur.
poses which any one in France will con
sent to see in the British plan are first, an
excuse for prolonging indefinitely the
hated occupation of Egypt by the British
troops, and second, a reoccupation of tiS,
Soudan with the intention of barring the
future designs of France for prosperous
colonial expansion on the upper Nile.
French Designs in Africa.
The growth of Frances sphere of in.
fluence east of Lake Tchad in Central
Africa has extended over pretty much all
the Mahomctan states of Baghuiri, Wadai
and Darfur, and her colonial policy is all
devoted to the success of her future plans
which avowedly include an extension Ct
influence to the Nile basin itself French
men believe that the British purpose in
the Nile campaign is to put a bar to the
success of these French colonial plans
There is the keenest disappointment fel,
here at Germany's asserting to Great
Britain's proposal to expend the Egyptian
surplus on the Nile expedition