The record-union., 1898-10-23
Has the Situation Looked So 0minous as
at the Present Time.
In Spite of the Hope Of Sober Jour-
nails of Both Countries That the
Fashoda Matter Would be
Amicably Arranged, Military
and Naval Authorities of the
Two Powers Are Making Fever
ish Preparations for War.

Copyrighted, 1898. by Associated Press)
LONDON, Oct. 22..Never since Great
Britain and France~began to dispute
over Egypt, nor during the most acute
stage of the Niger differences between
those two countries, has the situation
looked SO omnious as to-day. In spite
of the hope expressed in the sober
journals of both countries that the mat
ter would be amicably arranged, it is
a fact that the French naval and mil
itary authorities are making feverish
preparations for war, and though calm
reigns at the British dock yards at
Portsmouth, Chatham and Davenport,
it is only the calm of preparedness, and
significant orders have been arriving
there from the Admiralty, indicating
the belief that Great Britain and
France are on the brink of war.
NJ. de Blowitz, the Paris correspond
ent of the London Times" writes to-
day: Never before has there been
witnessed such state of fever as is
now prevailing in Great Britain nor SO
great an exaltation of public feeling
over a matter of foreign policy. France
is promptly and rapidly without look
ing forward or backward, preparing to
French statesmen, however, still cling
to the hope that the Marquis of Sails
bury will offer some explanation which
will enable them to retire from Fash
Oda without apparent sacrifice of dig
nifty. This hope is based on a CONVEX
sation between Lord Salisbury and
Baron de Courcel, the French Embas-
sadOr at London, which figures in a.
most important dispatch from the yell
low book which the French Government
will issue Tomorrow
1t is learned by the Associated Press
that Baron de Courcel, in this dis
patch, says that Lord Salisbury during
the conversation asked him what were
the desires of France in the Soudan. to
which the Baron replied that France
wished for an outlet on the upper Nile.
Lord Salisbury then responded that he
could not promise anything, and must
consult with his colleagues on such a.
matter.
Frenchmen infer from this attitude
Of the British Permier that he is will
ing to discuss the French claims and
they even talk Of negotiations being in
progress. The English newspapers.
however, vigorously combat this i'm
preston, and warn France not to be
led away by such illusions They de-
sire that the evacuation Of Fashoda
must precede anything else
The Times" to-day, referring to the
FashOda question, says: 'It is not we
who are trying to humiliate France,
but it is France who seeks to put a.
great humiliation on u.s. We have
beaten the Khalifa, and have effective
ly. occupied the provinces he usurped.
We are now asked to clear out at the
orders of an exploring party of nine
Frenchmen, who owe their escape from
destruction to our military success: or
if we are kindly permitted not to clear
out, we are to pay a ton for
our title to what We have wrested from
the Khalifa. This is not a thing we
can consent to discuss upon any such
high handed summons We are there
in effective occupation, and there we
intend to remain"
The French naval preparations were
at first declared to be mere routine ar
rangements, but they are now admitted
to be directed against Great
Britain. The Minister of Marine, NJ
Lockroy, is dispatching orders to all
the naval stations along the coast. and
he is receiving reports as to their con-
dition.
On the British side a feeling of abb
soiute self-confidence is displayed:
Everything ready is the burden of all
of the statements from naval quarters
In fact, the British navy has been on
a war footing for a year past, and an
authoritative pronouncement to- this
effect has come from the Secretary of
the Admiralty W. F. Ellison McCart-
ney. Referring to the preparations on
the other side of the channel, he said:
80 far as the British Admiralty is
concerned. the ships, officers and gen
eral administration are ready now to
meet the wishes of the country"
shows that nine battleships and eleven
fast cruisers are lying in the Mediter-
ranean while the British Channel
SQUADRON, which was last reported off
Vilagaria, Spain, consisting of eight
battleships and five cruisers, consti-
tutes the most modern and powerful
fleet of warships afioat
The Austrian and German newspa-
pers are closely following the dispute
between Great Britain and France, and,
while they express the hope that it will
not end in war, the general feeling is
that the French possession is untena-
BILE, and that Great Britain is entitled
to reap the fruits of victory.
WARLTKE ORDERS