The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-11-30
THE WAR HAS BEGUN
BRITISH AND FRENCH TROOPS
MET IN WEST AFRICA

A Sanguinary Conf ct Takes Place at Nfkki
In the Lago, Hinterland -ThsR Report Dis
credited at the british War Ofsice-This
Collision Anticipated for Some Time.
The schemiag of the Two Hatious to Sc
cure lh,- NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Pend
Ing for Over Thirty Years
Berlin, November ga dispatch to
The Frankfort Zeitung from Rome, re-
ports that a sanguinary conflict has
taken place between the French and the
British at Nikki, in the Lagos Hinter-
land.
London, November 2G.-Late in the
day a rurnor was received at the Brit
ish olonial office to the effect that
there had been a collision between the
British ana French forces at Nikki,
which is aid to have been captured
by the French troops. The officials of
the colonial office, however, regard this
report as highly improbable, as, they
explain, the British police in the Hin
terland, who are in very limited num-
beers, had strict orders to avoi any COL
lision with the French. 1t is also I'M
derstood that the Frepch forces had
been instructed not to come into con-
1iA1L Will AZ AAC
forces in the Hinterland, it is further
stated, are being reinforced considera-
bly,.
The colonial office late this evening
received a cable message from Lagos,
West coast of Africa, stating that a
Tumor is current amOung the natives
there of q collision between 400 British
and French troops. The report, it is
believed will prove to be found on q
conflict between the French and some
natives.
Paris, November 26.-M. Lebon, the
minister Of the colinies, has received
no information of a collision between
the British and French troops at Nikki,
in the Niger region, and discredits the
eport.
A conflict between the French and
British forces in the Lagos Hinterland
has been anticipated for some time
past. Both countries have been hurry
ing troops into the disputed territory.
The trouble is of about thirty years
standing. In 1870 France and Great
Britain opened negotiations for the set
Element of their respective frontiers in
West Africa, and it was decided in sub
stance that French influence and au-
thority Should be confined to the north
OF q certain line and that Great Britain
should rave a free hand south of this
Tire. The outbreak of the Franco
Prussian war interrupted the negotia-
tions- There was considerable oppOsi-
ton in both countries to the ceSSiOn
of any territory and during the next
five years difficulties frequently Oc-
CURED. Finally it was resolved to APP
point commissioners to reconsider the
whole matter, and as q result in the
course of the next ten years, four sep
arate agreements were concluded.
One dealt with the territorial limits of
Sierra Leone; the second arranged a
number Of disputed points regarding
Gambia, Sierra Leone, the gold coast,
and Lagos; the third drew a lire be-
tween the spheres of the two countries
in the Niger region, running from Say,
on the Niger. to Baru, on Lake Chad,
and making a detOur so as to include
the kingdom of Sokoto in the British
sphere; and the fourth settled the in
terror frontier Of Sierra Leone, relin-
gushing the Hinterland to France.
Since these agreements were arrived
AT, further difficulties have arisen oW-
ing to the failure of the boundary COM
mi~ssioners of Great Britain and France
to agree among themselves as to the
lines and especially as to the
Interpretation of the Say-Baruna
treaty, principally owing to the alb
sence of any boundary line to the
southwest of Say, where the competi-
tion of the British and French has been
very strong. The British Niger Com
pany, which was first in the field, con-
Guided a number of treaties with ma
tive chiefs, brining the whole of the
Borgu Dahomey Hinterland within the
British sphere. This was during the
fall Of 1894. In, the meanwhile the
French was trying to establish a great
African empire, to extend from Algeria
to the basins Of the Congo and the up
per Nile. But for this purpose it was
essential to secure the Hinterland of
Lagos and Car%notville, in northern Da-
honey.
The British Niger Company, how
ever. getting wind of the French plans,
dispatched Captain. (now major) Lu-
gard. to Nikki, the capital of Burgu, for
the purpose of negotiating a treaty
with the native ruler, and the English
4 officer was fortunate enough to reach
there before a French officer, Com
mandant Decoeur, who was bound for
the same place and with the same in
%tention. although the latter had the
start, and Lugard secured his treaty
and carried it away three weeks before
Decoeur arrived at Nikki.
The French however, seemed to have
chosen to disregard this fact and have
dispatched armed expeditions, not only
to Nikki, but to Broussa, which has
all along been acknowledged to be with
in the sphere of British influence. Be-
sides, the French have raised a ques-
tion as to whether the right bank of
the Niger below Say is property in
cluded in the British sphere under the
Say-Baruna treaty, and to settle these
and other questions in dispute, COM
'missioners representing Great Britain
and French are now tardily beginning
to deliberate in Paris.
Bishop Hsid's Jubilee
Charlotte, N. c., November 26.-At