The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-10
A RASH0DA BLUE BOOK.
Correspondence Between the French
and British Governments.
LORD SALISBURY DETERMINED.
The Correspondence Shows That the
British Would Have Resisted With
Force of Arms Any Interference
With Their Plan of Campaign.

Force of Arms Any interference
With Their Plan of Campaign.
London, Oct 10.-The foreign of1ic
has issued a Fashoda blue book givin
| the correspondence between the Frenc
and British governments.
1t begins with a dispatch dated Dec
10. 1897, from Sir Edmund Monson
Britfsff ambassador at Paris, to Lor,
Salisbury referring to rumors of tn
massacre Of the Marchand expedition
and expressing the ambassadors sat
isfaction that he has been allowed Il
acquaint M. Hanotaux French for
eign minister of that day) with Lore
Salisbury's view that, il other question!
are adjusted, Great Britain will make
no difficulty regarding the French
claim on the northern and eastern
shores of Lake Tchad. The dispatch
shows, however. that the ambassador
made 1t clear that this concession mus
not be understood as admitting the
right of any European power except
Great Britain to occupy any part OF
the Nile valley.
M. Hanotaux replied on Dec. "a in a
long dispatch of respectful protest
against Lord Salisbury's view.
On Aug. 2 Of this year Lord Salisbury
wrote Lord Cramer, British diplomatic
agent at Cairo, giving him instructions
that after the capture of Khartoum
two flotillas should ascend to Fashoda
and go up the Blue Nile as far as it
should prove navigable for steamers.
TrIn &L,, ;.,,t xIn srl, e
personally to command the Fashoda
flotilla and to take a few troops, IL
he should consider it desirable, the OBJ
jeet- being to assert Great Britain's
sphere of influence in the Nile valley
On Sept. 7 Sir Edward Monson re-
ported to Lord Salisbury a conversa-
tion in which M. Delcasse, French for
eign minister, announced that March,
and had no authority to decide on
questions of right. and had been in
structed to abstain from any action
likely tC lead to local conflict. M. Del
casse further expressed a conviction
that the matter was susceptible of ar
raHgement by means of discussion. To
this Lord Salisbury replied on Sept.
9 that Great Britain regarded the
operations of the sirdar General
Kitchener) as placing all the territories
of Khalifa Abdullah. by right of con-
quest, in the hands of the British and
Egyptian governments, and insisted
that this contention admitted of no dis
cussion.
Then follow various dispatches re.
cording the discussion between Sir Ed
mund Monson and M. Delcasse the
latter explaining that Marchand was
now virtually lieutenant to the Liot-
ard expedition, and that, therefore. the
situation at Fashoda, even if March,
and was there, could not be dangerous
as Sir Edmund Monson had repre-
sented.
On Sept. 25-still following the blue
book-the sirdar reported the results
of his expedition to Fashoda, fully con-
firming the announcements already
cabled to the press, including the fact
that General Kitchner's arrival there
prevented second dervish attack on
Marchand. The French officer informed
the sirdar that he had concluded a
treaty, which he had sent to France
for ratification, whereby the Shillock
chiefs had placed the country under
French protection. Marchand replied in
the negative to General Kitchener's
question whether he was prepared to
resist the hosting Of the Egyptian
flag, but he maintained that he had
orders f-om the French government to
occupy Fashoda. On the departure of
the British forces General Kitchener
notified Major Marchand in writing
that all transportation of war material
on the Nile was absolutely prohibited.
The Sirdard's dispatch concludes as
follows: "The chief Shillocks came to
our camp and positively denied that
they had concluded any treaty with
Marchand, while all the Shillocks de-
cfared their allegiance to the British
government. Moreover, Marchand was
in such precarious position that
nothing could have prevented his an
initiation by the dervishes had we been
a fortnight later in crushing the
khalifa."
Other dispatches indicate that M.
Delcasse declined Great Britain's re-
quest for the immediate recall Of Major
agreed to dispatch message for |
the French government to March. !
and as a matter of courtesy, without |
any responsibility for the |
results delay might entail. and still
that the matter admitted
If no compromise.
In the final dispatch appearing in the
blue boook Lord Salisbury. under date
If Oct. 8. instructs Sir Edmund Mon
ION to inform M. Delcasse that the lat
er's message to Major Marchand has
,een sent, but that Great Britain views
he Marchand mission as having no
political significance whatever.