The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-11-14
MERELY A BIG BLUFF
sALIsBURY's RECENT SPEECH IN
TENDED TO PACIFY ENGLIsHMEN.
Fresh Evidence that the Premier Is
Past Master of Saying Nothing
I'm Many Soothing Words.
GAME OF GRAB WILL GO ON
FRANCE SEEMINGLY BENT ON RE-
TANNING SEIZED TERRITORY,
While England Is Hurrying Officers to
Lagos to Protect Her Interests
in the Niger Country.

Copyright, 1897, by the Associated Press.)
LONDON, Nov. 13-The speech of the
Marquis of Salisbury at the Guildhall on
Tuesday last lord mayors day, again
proved him to be past master Of saying
nothing in many soothing words 1t was
essentially a peace speech, and did not con-
tain single indication as to how far the
government is prepared to go in Indian,
Egyptian, Soudan or Niger affairs, beyond
a general what can be done, will be done"
Even the supposed menace to France has
since been explained and was not intended
to excite French feelings, but was merely
to give English public opinion mild satis-
faction from a pretended bluff. The pre-
miers utterances on the subject of inter
national federation led to the conclusion
that the government is wearying Of Great
Britain's splendid isolation" and the i'm
perialistic plans of the secretary of state
for the colonies, Mr.. Joseph Chamberlain,
have not yet progressed enough to permit
Great Britain to maintain her policy of
separation from the rest of the world.
The continental newspapers regard dis
trustfully praise of the concert of the pow
ers coming from the leader of the power,
which, rightly or wrongly, the whole of
Europe believes to have been the most un--
trustworthy element in it. "A Vienna news
paper voices the general distrust, saying:
England has seized in Africa, as else
where, the lions share. First she cheated
Germany, tricking her out Of promising
territory in exchange for the crumbling
rock of Heliogoland Then she caused
Italy to bleed for her in Erythrea and has
now only to deal with one opponent, whom
she despises namely France, to which she
has always been an unpleasant neighbor,
continually tearing pieces from her living
body. She took Canada, and everything
valuable the French had in Asia, mostly by
cunning, and proved herself the perpetual
enemy of the whole continent. Now she
proclaims the right to exclusive possession
OF all the Niger territory worth having.
The momentary check caused by the Mar
quis of Salisbury bluff has been followed
by recrudescence of jingolsm in France
which has been intensified by the arrival
in Paris yesterday of the band of the Cars
Preobrajensky Regiment, which has been
sent to the French capital as an earnest Of
Russian friendship. Another incentive to
Chauvinism has been found in the an
nouncement that strong detachment Of
Russian cavalry and artillery will shortly
sail from Odessa to Djibutil, and then they
will go to King Menelik with the object of
assisting the French to thwart the British
in grabbing Central Africa. Conseuuently
the tone of the Paris newspapers is again
excited. They are claiming that the po-
sition of France is unassailable, both by
virtue of justice and recent military opera
tions, which it is asserted, assure the per-
manent occupation Of all the Niger terri
tory already hypothecated on the French
maps, and the French minister for foreign
affairs, M. Hanotaux, is being urged not
to make any concessions.
On the other hand, Great Britain is not
idle. Thirty army officers left Liverpool
to-day for Lagos, on the west coast of
Africa and it is asserted that Captain
Frederick Lugard, of the Royal Niger Com
pany, with thirty more British officers will
start for Africa next week with instructions
to lead the land expedition on Boussa, in
conjunction with the Niger gunboat fotilla.
Great Britain is making the evacuation of
Boussa by the French a sine qua non