Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-11-27
THE PONERS CONE TO- BLOWS.
A Battle Reported Between the French
and British in Africa.

The Territory in Dispute = Both
Powers Have Been Claiming It
for Thirty Years and Each Has
Sent Troops to Hold the Region.
A Collision Has Been Impending.
Berlin, November ga dispatch to
the Frankfort Zeitung from Rome re-
ports that sanguinary conflict has
taken place between the French and
British at Nikki, in the Lagos Hinter-
land.
Paris, November 26.-M. Lebon, the
minister of the colonies, has received
no information of collision between
the British and French troops at Nikki,
in the Niger region, and discredits the
report
London, November 26.-The colonial
Office late this evening received cable
message from Largos, West Coast OF
Africa, stating that rumor is current
among the natives there of collision
between 400 British and French troops.
The report, it is believed, will prove to
be founded on a conflict between the
French and some natives.
London, November 26.-While the &C
curacy of the statement contained in
the Rome dispatch to the Frankfort
Zeitung announcing that a conflict had
taken place between the French and
British troops in the Lagos Hinterland,
is doubted, the London morning papers
to-day pointed out the imminent danger
resulting from the proximity of the two
forces in the contested country.
Later in the day rumor was received
at the British colonial Office to the eff
feet that there had been a collision be-
tweenthe British and French forces at
Nikki, which is said to have been cap
tured by the French troops.
The officials of the colonial office,
however, regard this report as highly
improbable, as, they explain, the Brit
ish police in the Hinterland, who are in
very limited numbers had strict orders
to avoid any collision with the French.
1t is also understood that the French
forces had been instructed not to come
into conflict with the British. The
British forces in the Hinterland it is
further stated are being reinforced
considerably.
A conflict between the French and
British forces in the Lagos Hinterland
has been anticipated for some time past.
Both countries have been hurrying
troops into the disputed territory. The
trouble is of about thirty years stand
ing. In 1870 France and Great Britain
opened negotiations for the settlement
of their respective frontiers in West
Africa, and it was decided in substance
that French influence and authority
should be confined to the north of GER
tain line and that Great Britain should
have free hand south of this line. The
outbreak of the Franco-Prussian war in
terrupted the negotiations. There was
considerable opposition in both coun-
tries to the cession of any territory,
and during the next five years difficult
ties frequently occurred. Finally it was
resolved to appoint commissioners to
reconsider the whole matter, and as a
result, in the course of the next ten
years, four separate agreements were
concluded.
But since these agreements were arriv-
ed at, further difficulties have arisen
owing to the failure of the boundary COM
missioners of Great Britain and France
to agree among themselves as to the
frontier lines. Since then both parties
have turned their attention to getting
treaty concessions from the native chiefs
The French have been aiming at the es.
Enlistment of great African empire
and despatched expeditions to the Hinter.
land of Lagos and Carnotville to estab.
lish headquarters
The British-Niger Company, however
getting wind of the French plans des-
patched Captain now Major Lugard tc
Nikki. the capital of Burgu, for the pur
pose of negotiating a treaty with the ma.
tive ruler. and the English officer was for
tunate enough TO reach there before &
French officer. Commandant Decoe ur, WIKI
was bound for the same place and will
the same intention, although the latter
had the start, and Lugard secured his
treaty and carried ii away three weeks
before Decoeur arrived at NikkL The
French, however, seemed TO have chosen
to disregard this fact and have despatch.
ed armed expeditions, not only to Nikki
but to Broussa. which has all along beer
acknowledged to be at the sphere of Brit
ish influence. To settle these and othel
questions in dispute. commissioners rep
resenting Great Britain and France are
now tardily beginning to deliberate II
Paris.