The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-11
England in Africa.

BY latest accounts, the Transvaal war
fever is cooling dow in England, the
various points Of difference between the
English Government and President KIT
GER having either been settled between
Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN and DIR. LEYDs, the
Transvaal Secretary of State, or being in a
fair way of settlement. The visit recently
paid by DR.. LEYps to England gave Mr..
CHAMBERLAIN an opportunity of studying
the personality of the man, and the re-
suit was that the English Colonial Secre-
tary came to the conclusion that it was
better to remain OF good terms with a
State guided by such men as President
KRTGER and DIR. LEYDs, than run the risk
of a conflict that might wind up by the sub
%stitution of the flag Of the United States Of
South Africa for the Union Jack of Eng
land. The entente is said to have been ar
rived at over a comfortable little dinner
given to DR.. LEYDs by Mr.. CHAMBERLAIN,
at which Sir WILLIAM HARcoURT and
other leading members of Parliament of
both parties were present.
What the exact motives for this sudden
change of policy and the abandonment of
the hectoring one of the English Colonial
Office toward the Boer republic are, should
not be difficult to imagine; how far they
are sincere is another matter. Whatever
they are, the English Government will
have to see to it that the Rhodesian
methods toward a friendly State are
abandoned and the Transvaal n Orange
Free State will have the opportunity of
strengthening themselves against unjust
aggression. In averting a conflict, how.
ever much he had right on his side, by
wise and not humiliating concessions and
in the face of the complete moral discom-
future Of his opponents, President KRtGER
has justified Prince BIsMARCK's description
of him as among the greatest of living
natural statesmen.
While, however, the English Government
has shown itself yielding and diplomatic
in the south of Africa, preparations for a
forward movement on the Nile within the
next few weeks are reported. The ques-
tions that have arisen in the region of the
Soudan and the neighboring country
of Abyssinia during the past twelve
months, are complicated and perplex,
ing. The English mission to Abyssinia is
on its way back to the coast of tho Red Sea,
but as yet nothing is made public about it's
ItSulJSS "nllc IL Is Sidttu, oil apparently
good authority, that the French have Sc
cured the concession for the construction
Of a railway from their port of Dill
bouti to Harrar, at the foot of the
Abyssinian Highlands. The Italians are
said to be ready to withdraw from the
last points of Importance remaining to them
Of their acquisitions on the Red Sea, but the
difficulty is to whom will they hand them
over. In the settlement of these various
questions between the different aspirants for
p~redominance ON the Upper Nile and on the
Red Sea coast, diplomacy will find some
things hard Of solution. England, however,
has her hands freer for dealing with them
by having the Transvaal trouble out of the
way; and a rumor hat the squadron lately
assembled at Delagoa Bay had orders to
proceed north within easy reach Of the Red
Sea, may have some connection with COM
ing events in that neighborhood.