The record-union., 1898-01-30
Relieves That She is Soon to Secure Ahou
All She Has Asked.
Yet Mr.. Chamberlain, While APP
pea1ing Satisfied That British
Claims in West Africa Will be
Upheld, and That France VIII
be Confined Westward of the
Lagos-Dahomey Frontier, is
Pushing Troops and Supplies to
the Front as Rapidly as Posi-
BILE.

LONDON, Jan. 29.-(Copyrighted,
1898, by the Associated Press AFTER
unusually prolonged period of extreme
tension, all signs point to an early i'm
provement in, If not a complete solu-
ton of the various international polt
ical problems agitating the nerves of
Great Britain. The Foreign and CO.
lonial Offices are beginning to see day.
light through the darkness, which has
long been enyeloping the Far East,
West Africa, the Upper Nile and In
dia, and unless signs fail and infor-
nation from the best informed circles
is faulty, the Marquis of Salisbury and
Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State
for the Colonies, will divide the honors
and Great Britain will secure about all
she asks.
So far as China is concerned, this
view, in connection with the speech of
Mr.. Curzon, the Parliamentary Secreta-
ry for the Foreign Office at Bottom on
Tuesday, and the reported acceptance
of the British loan, is generally regard
ed as correct. Mr. Curzon foreshad-
owed the probably success Of the loan
negotia tions, the achievement of Great
Britain's purpose in keeping the ports
free TO the whole world, and the main
tenance of treaty rights whereby
spheres of influence are rendered i'm
possible" The Russian proposal of
loan on the same terms as Great Bri-
tain was not taken seriously. 1t is
understood that she has not the money
herself without drawing upon her war
reserve funds.
France is daily showing less inclina-
ton to burn its fingers in a game in
which, even if successful, Russia would
be the only gamer, while Germany ap-
pears to have set completely around to
the British side. Throughout the sit
uation has never been SO alarming as
sensationalists attempted to paint it.
Hence the Cars peaceful assurances
and Lord George Hamilton's statement
in his speech on Tuesday, that relations
With Russia We're entirely satisfactory,
viii not have surprised America
Turning to West Africa, an official of
the Colonial Office informs the Asso-
ciated Press that the impossbility Of
securing witnesses from the west coast
earlier is the reason for the delay in
the Paris negotiations Some of the
most important witnesses arrived only
last week and they are now in Paris.
Thus far, all the British demands have
been conceded nominally and "provis-
ionally pending the result Of the con-
vention," but Mr.. Chamberlain is per-
fectly satisfied that the British claims
Will be upheld, and that the French will
he confined westward of line pro-
longed from the present Lagos-Daho-
mey frontier to the Niger, and along the
right bank of the Niger to Say.
In the meantime, he does not propose
TO risk being caught mapping by prob
able adverse decision of the convention,
so he is pushing troops and supplies to
the front as rapidly as possible. A
new regiment of 2.0G0 hussars has been
enrolled at baden during the last few
weeks and detachments will be sent to
the front as soon as the men become
efficient.
In regard to the Upper Nile, the in
teresting news which Mr.. Curzon
dropped on Thursday to the effect that
the ratification of the treaty between
Great Britain and King Menelill of
Abyssnia have been exchanged, and
that the Government hopes shortly to
accredit representative at the Abys-
isfaction as helping to solve the ques-
tion of the Upper Nile. The terms Of
the treaty will not be divulged until it
is presented to Parliament. but the
hints dropped at the Colonial Office in
dicate that the agreement is based on
the principle that friendly Abyssinia on
the Upper Nile is preferable to hostile
France.
IT. IL In 81
lowed to crafty his ambition in the
equatorial Hinterland in a manner not
interfering with the Anglo Egyptian
plans.
AS King Menelik is a trader as well
as a warrior. the agreement also con-
templates assistance in opening up the
country. and II is understood that the
British will acquire the right to trav-
erse Ably ssinia and other advantages
which viii become apparent as soon as
Khartoum is recaptured.
In the meanwhile. young Henry Cav
endish. a distant relative of the Duks
of Devonshire, is preparing to start
again for Equatorial Africa accompa-
MED by Lieutenant Andrews. eight
British officers and Mr.. Doddson. VINO
was the companion of DR. Donaldson
smith. the american explorer. Mr..
Cavendish will take with him 400 arm
ed men and a number of rapid firing
guns. AS his objective point is the
junction of the White Nile and the So
bat Rive at Sobat, the purpose of the
expedition. ii will readily be seen, is
to cut off the French from reaching
Fashoda. which is only a short distance
north of Sobat. Possibly Mr.. Cavendish
may be able to take advantage of the
new treaty with King Menelik, and get
short cut through Abyssinia.
While Mr.. Cavendish is personally
defrasing the cost of the expedition,
1t is known that he has been in frequent
communication with the Marquis of
Salisbury. through the Duke of Devon
shire so it is safe to say the expedi-
tion IS under Government auspices.
The news from Christiana on Friday
last shat the committee appointed to
draw up proposals for the better reg
ulation of the relations between Nor
way and Sweden has been unable to
reach ar agreement, indicates that the