New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-02-23
OPERATIONS on TIE NLGER.

The French denial Of reports Of an advance
upon Sokoto Is to be welcomed and believed.
Had the reports been confirmed they would
have indicated a critical state Of affairs. On
a former occasion, n few months ago. French
troops were reported to have occupied Nikki,
Il town lying west of the Niger and between
that river and tn. French colony Of Dahomey.
British troops are now on their way thlther
perhaps have already arrived, for the pur-
pose Of maintaining British authority there
ut all hazards. This second movement would
have been more serious. The French were said
to have crossed the Niger and to have advanced
some distance up its tributary, the SokOto,
toward the city Of Sokoto, the capital Of the
empire Of the same name, which Is a British
protectorate That would apparently have in
dcated n fragrant breach Of the Anglo-French
Agreement of 1890. and such an infringement
upon British rights could not be tolerated 1t
is customary 10 speak Of the dispute between
France and Great Britain in that region as a
boundary dispute. II Is that. but It IS more
properly contest for the possession and con-
rol of the Niger.
This Is the situation, which a glance at the
map Will further elucidate. For many years
the coast of Dahomey, TO a point little east
Of Porto Novo, has been ndsputably French
and the coast thence eastward to Old Calabar
River, including the Niger mouths. has been
as ndsputably British. Down TO 1890 the In
land boundaries were uncertain. save that the
line between French Dahomey and the British
Yoruba territory ran due north for hundred
miles or In 1890 the so-callcd Say Barua
Agreement made between Great Britain
and France Under it the dividing line between
French and British territories was run from
Barua, near the northwest corner Of Lake
Tchad, almost due west TO Say, on the Niger
all north Of It to be French. all south OF 1t Brit
lsh. No definite settlement Of the line from
Say down to the coast seems to have been
reached But II was tacltly taken for granted
on both sides that such line would run from
Say almost due south to meet the old line be-
tween Dahomey and Yoruba Thus the Niger
from Say to the sea was TO be British, and
above Say it was to be French
Within the last few years, however, the
French have manifested desire to get con-
troll Of at least one bank Of the lower Niger
from Say TO the sea. They disputed the au-
thenticity Of the line drawn from Say to Porto
Novo, and began TO push eastward into Borgu
and other territories, so to get possession Of
all land west Of the Niger down mt least as far
as Nupc. That was the object apparently of
their seizure Of Nikki. 1t may be, of course,
that the French are acting we'll within their
rights That Is a matter which is not to be
decided Offhand by anybody on this side Of the
Atlantic. But II such be the case the whole
Niger territory Is In danger Of being wrested
from British control The question Is a most
acute one. and must speedily be settled one
way the other. II is to be hoped that work
will be satisfactorily done by the international
commission now sitting in Paris.
This is to be sad that down to a recent date
the most tudicious French authorities recog-
nized as valid the claims which Great Brit
ain now makes When the Say-Barua treaty
was made "Le Journal des Debats" said: I'VE
'have had recognized to us all the Upper Niger
land the great bend Of the river down 10 Say.
ITO the south Of this point rich and popu-
''lous territories These will not be ours" An
other important paper, La Republique Fran
case." also said: The line flom Say to Lake
"Tchad places the Kingdoms of Borgu Sokoto
"and Bornu within the British sphere French
maps, too. have indicated the boundaries to be
as the British now contend they should be. IL
is probable that no serious attempt will be made
TO reverse that Judgment. No doubt France
would like 10 get possession OF the Lower Niger,
as we'll as the Upper Nile. or her right TO do
II she can there Is, under African partition
ethics. no doubt. But 1t Is much to be doubted