The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-28
Situation I'm the Lagos HintcrIand
Deemed Grave, Despite Denial of
the RumOred Collision.
MORE TROOPS SENT SOUTH
GREAT BRITAIN HURRYING REIN.
FORCEMENTs TO WEST AFRICA.
French Soldiers Already I'm Possession
OF Disputed Territory-GOssip
About Victoria and Her Family.

copyright, 1897 by the Associated Press.)
LONDON, Nov. H.-The rumor of con-
fiict between French and British forces
near Niklxi in the Lagos Hinterland, west
Africa is authoritatively denied but the
general credence that was given TO the
rumor shows how grave the situation
is. Since the initiation of the wild
policy Of sending armed bands from Da-
honey and Lagos, led by hotheaded officers,
to assert the authority of their respective
nations and grab anything in sight which
might still be unoccupied it has been be-
lieved that a collision was bound to occur
sooner or later. Both governments have re-
peatedly been warned to recall these row
ing expeditions and await the settlement
Of the delimitation commission now sitting
in Paris.
1t is difficult to apporton the blame for
this state of affairs. That the French
initiated the system of raiding the con-
tested territory in West Africa is ndisputa-
BILE, but the Colonial Columbus" as Sir
William Vernon Harcourt, the Liberal lead
er, has nicknamed Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain,
the secretary of state for the colonies, has
made serious false step in following suit.
If diplomatic protest on the subject had
ously pushed, the whole question would
probably have been amicably settled by this
time. But instead of this the French have
been permitted to boldly invade the admitted
limits of British Lagos territory, fight the
natives and occupy towns so that they
might more easily reach and occupy the
Say-Boussa-Nikki triangle. which is the
subject of the dispute.
So far as known the Marquis of Salisbury
has not asked for PREPARATION or even fer
explanations and the whole story appears
to be incredible. If the Marquis of Sails
bury and Mr.. Chamberlain have a settled
policy regarding West Africa, they have
failed to make it known and all they seem
TO be doing at present is to impress the
French with the fact of Great Britains
unlimited ''squeezeability."
The present situation is fraught with
perilous humiliation and the loss of the
little self-respect the Tory Ministry has left.
For this the country and press, even the
Conservative newspapers, are demanding re-
prisals by the re-seizure, for instance. of the
town of Boussa, lately seized by the French,
though believed to be Enthusiastically within
the British sphere and, by the breaking
off the negotiations in Paris until the acts
of the Dahomey officials are formally dis
avowed.
In the meanwhile another batch of eighty
British officers and noncommissioned OFF,
GERS sailed from Liverpool to-day for La
COS. West Coast of Africa, accompanied by
a battery of six twelve-pounder Maxim
Nordenfelt howitzers, specially supplied by
the Colonial Office, without consultation
with the War Office. 1t is computed that
when the forces in process of being dis
NV no a U
there Great Britain will have $50 officers
and noncommissioned officers and 1900
troops in West Africa.
Commenting on this fact, the semi official
Temps, of Paris, says: zine British troops
will be received by our troops, who are al
ready de facto in possession, and who pro-
pose to remain so until the pending negotia-
tons are settled by equitable compensa-
lions, legitimatey shared by France and
England. Until then we shall not swerve.''
If this means anything, it means that
France intends to extract further graceful
concessions from the Marquis of Salisbury
similar to those in connection with SIAM
Tunis and Madagascar.
A dispatch from Lagos tonight says:
LAGOS West Coast of Africa, Nov. a.
The report of a collision between British
and French troops near Nikki is unfound-
ed The French expedition from Porto
Novo has reached Nikki without any
trouble
The Lagos hinterland-'h interland" being
the term applied to the unoccupied terri
tory intervening between the various At
rican colonies-has been occupied by the
British since 1861 Though the region is
printed red on British colonial maps, how
ever, that nations influence has not been
acknowledged by the French. North of
Lagos is the country of BoTgu, over which,
by a treaty made in 1880, British influence
in Borgu was recognized. The Yorubas of
Lagos are practically subject to the inhab-
pany (Which now has more than thirty
steamers On the Niger and its tributarieS).
relying on the Acknowledgement of British
influence by France, made treaty with
the king Of the brigandS of Borgu. From
France, however, came mutterings to the
effect that this king was vaSsal of the
chief. whose seat was at Nikki. In the fall
of 1894 the French sought to forestall the
British by sending out an expedition to OBJ
tain treaty with this king at Nixki. The
Royal Niger Company sent Captain Lugard
by forced marches on the same Grand The
BritCnS won the race and the treaty.
Captain Lugard declares that the ends
France is seeking in its northwestern and
central African policy are: Access to the
navigable waterway of the Nile as an out
let for the trade of her central African pos
sessions, q claim she would be certain to
advance if she had station on any naviga-
bic tributary to the Nile. Extension of her
African empire from the Atlantic to the
Red Sea, extension for which she has
long been theoretically preparing from her
stations at Obok and Tanjurran, opposite
barrassment of England in Egypt by the
acquisition of the upper Nile and the con-
troll Of the waters of the river"
4