The record-union., 1897-11-28
Though the Reported Conflict at
Nikki Is Denied,
II is Generally Credited That the Situation
is Very Grave.
Believed That q Collision Of
French and British Will Occur
Sooner or Later, Unless Both
Governments Withdraw Their
Rowing Expeditions.

LONDON, Nov. 27 copyrighted, 1897,
by the Associated Press. 1.-The rumor
OF conflict between French and Brit
ish forces near Nikki West Africa. is
authoritatively denied, but the general
credence that was given to the rumors
shows how grave is the situation. Since
the initiation of the wild policy of send
ing men amid bands of Dahomey and
Lagos, led by hot headed officers, to
assert the authority of their respective
nations and grab anything in sight
which still might be unoccupied it has
been believed that collision was bound
10 occur sooner or later. Both Govern
ments have been repeatedly warned to
recall these rowing expeditions and
await the settlement of the delimitation
commission now sitting in Paris.
1t is difficult to apportion the blame
for this state of affairs. That the French
initiated the system of raiding the con-
tested territory in West Africa is in
disputable; but the Colonial Column
bus" as Sir William Vernon Harcourt,
the Liberal leader. has nicknamed JOS.
Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for
the Colonies, has made a serious false
step in following suit.
If a diplomatic protest on the SUBJ
ject had been promptly lodged in Paris
and vigorously pushed, the whole ques-
tion 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 ma
might more easily reach and occupy the
Say -Boussea Nikki triangle, which is
the subject of dispute.
So far as known, the Marquis Of Sails
bury has not asked for reoaration or
even for explanation. and the whole
story appears to be incredible. If Lord
Salisbury 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 "squeezabil-
ity"
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 reprisals by the re-seizure
for instance of the town of Boussea,
lately seized by the French though be-
lieved to be unmistakably within the
British sphere and by the breaking of
the negotiations in Paris, until the acts
of the Dahomey officials are formally
disavowed
In the meanwhile, another batch of
eight British officers and non-commis-
stoned officers sailed from Liverpool to-
day for Lagos, West Coast of Africa, ac-
companied by battery of six 12-pound-
er Maxim Nordenfeld howitzers, spe-
oially supplied by the Coleman Office,
without consultation with the war Of
flee. 1t is computed that when the
forces in process of being dispatched are
Joined to the troops already there. Great
Britain viii have 250 officers and nom
commissioned officers and 1000 troops
in West Africa.
.. c. Murray, the novelist is propos-
ing a national subscription to erect in
London a statue in honor of George
Washington. Messrs. Bayard and Hay
have both approved the scheme. The
Daily Chronicle" however, questions
whether the statue might not result in
an enlightenment of relations, and says:
Like all near relatives, England and
America quarrel now and then Perhaps
some day it might occur to some bolster
Gus jingo to make the statue of the
father of his people the subject of an un-
edifying demonstration.
The engineering conference appar-
emily BODIES i'll to trade unionism. The
essence of the provisional agreement is
that the Masters Union (employers'
federation) is to be free to introduce
into any of the federation workshops
the conditions existing in any other
workshop, without reference to the
wishes of the trades union The en-
ployers have in mind the system of
piece work in which the systems have
no voice, prevailing in certain work
shops, and it is the right to substitute
individual agreements for collective bar
gains which the masters are asking the
unions to sign away. If this is accom-
plished. it involves such changes that
the methods on which industry has
hitherto been conducted as to menace
every trades union in the country In
deed the situation is regarded as being
So critical that there is talk of sum-
moning a national convention of repre-
sentatives of all organized labor to dis
cuss the matter.
The newspapers We're apparently too
previous in Growing over the find OF al
legged important Venezuelan documents
at Greytown, which was Immediately
hailed as settling the case and as a
useful rebuff to American 'smeddlers in
their neighbors' concerns" The Co
lonial Office now announces that the
value of the document is believed to be
.altogether insignificant" and that
they will not necessitate an alteration in
the statement of the British case as al
ready submitted.