The San Francisco call., 1897-11-28
CAME OF
CRAB IN
AFRICA
Reported Fight Between
French and English
Denied.
RATHER WILD POLICY
PURSUED.
Rowing Bands on the West
Coast Selling All the Un-
occupied Lands.
GREAT BRITAIN SENDS MORE
SOLDIERS.
Meanwhile Premier Salisbury and
Secretary Chamb rlain En-
p oy Strange Tactics.
Rowing Bands on the West
Coast Selling All the Un-
occupied Lands.
GREAT BRITAIN SENDS MORE
SOLDIERS.
Meanwhile Premier Salisbury and
Secretary Chamb rlaIn En-
oy Strange Tactics.
Special Dispatch to The CALI.

|
LONDON, Nov. 27.-The rumor of con-
! flict between French and British forces
near Nlkki, West Africa, is authorita-
lively denied, tut the general credence
| that was given to the rumor shows how
grave is the situation. Since the initia-
ton OF the wild policy of sending men
amid bands of Dahomey and Lagos, led
| by hot-headed Cfficers to assert the
authority of their re pective nations and
grab anything in sight which still might
! be unoccuped, it has been believed that
a collision was bound 10 occur sooner or
later. Both governments have been re-
peatedly warned to recall these rowing ex-
ped tions and await the settlement of the
del limitation commission now sitting in
! Paris.
| II 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 indis-
! putaple, but The "Colonial Colum bus" as
| Sir William Vernon Harcourt, the Liberal
! leader, has nicknamed Joseph Cham
berlain, the Secretary OF State for the
/ Colonies, has made serious false step in
/ following suite. II q diplomatic protest
on the subject had been promptly lodged
in Paris and vigorously pushed, the whole
question would probably have been amic
ably settled Dy 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
BousseaNIkki triangle, which is the sub
ject of dispute.
So far as known the Marquis Of Sails
bury has not asked for reparation or even
for explanations and the whole story ap-
pears to be incredible. If Lord Salisbury
and Mr. Cham oerlain have settled policy
regarding West Africa they have failed to
make it known, and all they seem to be
doing at present is 10 impress the French
with the fac. of Great Britain's unlimited
''soueez ability."
The present situation is fraught with
perilous humiliation and the loss of the
little sel'-respect the Tory ministry has
left. For this country and press, even the
conservative newspapers are demanding
reprisals By the reseizure, for in
stance, of the town OF Bous-
sea. lately seized by the Fiench
though believed to be unm istakeably with
in the British sphere and by the breaking
of the negotiations in Paris until the acts
of the Dahomey officials ere formally dis
avowed.
In the meanwhile another batch OF eight
| British officers and non-Commissionel Of
| ficers s"il9 from Liverpool to-day for
! Lagos, West Coast of Africa, accompanied
by a battery of six 12-pounder Maxim
| Nordeufelt howitzer-, specially supplied
by the colonial office, without consul,E-
| lion wi h the war office.
1t is computed that when the forces in
process of being dispatched are joined to
:he troops already there Great Britain
Will have 250 officers and non- com mis-
s;ored officers and 1000 troops in West
| Africa.
Commenting on this fact the semi
official Temps Of Paris says: the British
! troops Will be received by ouI troops, who
are already de facto in possession, and
who propose to remain SO until the pend
| ing negotiations are settled by equitable
com pensauon, legitimately shared by
France and England. Until then We shall
! not swerye.'
! If this means anything it means that
! France intends TO extract further grace
| ful concessions" iIom the Marquis of
| Salisbury. similar 10 those in connection
W tn Siam, TunIs and Madagascar.
| d. c. Murray, the novelist, is propos ng
q national ST. description to erect in London
statue in honor If George Washington.
Messrs. Bayard and Hay have botn APP
proved the schtm'. The Daily Chronicle,
! however, questions whether the statue
might not result ID an enlightenment of
| relations, and says: IL Ike all near reIa-
| tlves, England and America quarrel now
! and then. Perhaps some day it mig ht
occur 10 some boisterous jingo TO make
the statue of the Father of His Peope
the subject of an unedliyinS demonstra-
! ton.
The engineering conference apparently
BODIES III 10 trade unionist,. The essence
of the provisional agreement is that The
Masters Un on employers federation) is
to be rec 10 introduce into any of the
iederaiion's workshops the conditions eX-
lsting in any other workshop without
reference 10 the wishes OF the trades
union. The employers have in mind the
system OF piecework in which the unions
have no voice prevailing in certain work
| shops, and il is the right 10 subs itute in
dividual agreements for collective bar.
gains which the masters are asking the
| unions TO sign away. If this is ac-
complished it involves such changes in
the met hods on which industry has hith-
erto been conducted as 10 menac every
trades union in the country. Indeed, the
situation is regarded as being so critical
that there Is talk OF sum m oninga national
convention OF representatives OF all organ
lied labor to d scuss the matter.
The newspapers were apparently too
previous in Growing over The find of al
leyed important Venezuelan documents
at Greytown, which was immediately
hailed as settling the case ana q a useful
rebuff to Anne ricun ''meddlers III their
neigh bors' concerns" The Colonial Office
now announces that the value of the dec
uments is be leved to be altogether ms e.
niticant." and that they will not necessi-
tate an alteration in the statement Of the
British case. as alre: d; submitted.
--
An ingenious mechanical vice lust in.
uapfod naStos m per Ia faI ~, 100 0an0 ~ =. :.