The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-09

ing the future Of the soudan provinces
which the Anglo-Egyptisn military
expedition, under command Of Sir
Herbert Kitchener. Is now r%econauer-
ing for Egyp; on the Upper Nile:
young nan. you will live 10 see the
time when a railway will be built
through that country to the Trsnsvaal
and the cape"
This important statement from the
colonial secretary Of England derives
additional significance from the cir
cumstance hat as the expedition has
advanced in its ~conauering march up
the Nile valley h building Of a rail-
way has accompanied the progress of
SITS rear column-and Its gauge IL the
same as hat Of the Ruluwayo road
which already extends from Capetown
Matabeleland. Egypt's equatorial
provinces merge with British East
Africa, so that when the reconquest
Of the Egyptian territory is completed
England's way will be clear from the
mouth of the Nile to its source, the
Victoria Nyanza. and to Albert Ed
ward lake.
In South Africa Great Britain holds
uninterrupted domain northwardly.
through the interior. from Cape Agul-
has to the Congo Free State and Ger
man East Africa. In Cape OF Good
Hope the progress OF railway building
In the last quarter century has been
marked. In this colony. where in 1873.
there was but SO miles OF railway.
there were. by official report, on Jan
uary last. 2.25s miles of government
railway. with ssk more miles under
construction. and 254h miles Of rail
way owned by private parties. The
railway from Capetown. which. a few
months ago. was carried northwardly
TO Buluwayo. Is the important south
ern link in England's great project of
an African continental route. With her
possession or control of the country
beyond. there stands 10 fnsuperable
obstacle TO the extension OF the Bulu-
wayo railway to Lake ~Tanganyika. 20
the point where the southern bound
airy Of the Congo Free State comes TO
the west shore Of the lake. she is then.
taking into account her rights Of
water transportation on Lakes Tan
ganyika and Albert Edward. within
200 miles OF her East African territory
at the head waters Of the Nile.
IL is this 200 miles that so far has
balked England in her efforts to con
Uutf a. tlthi fikhA VI way lbI u
building of a north and south railway
through Africa: and so far her diplo-
macy has not been equal to overcom-
ing the difficulty. For this distance,
the distance between Lake flanagan
yika and Lake Albert Edward. the
Congo Free State and German East
Africa adjoin zach other. contributing
together a barrier OF alien territory
extending completely across the Afri-
can continent. There is little doubt
that England. II a free hand be given
her by the other European powers and
Abyssinia. will at no distant day re-
conquer and hold all OF the southern
Egyptian provinces, thus securing n
clear field from the Niles mouth to
Lake Albert Edward. II is the OBJ
tanning of the right of way across this
200 miles which separate Lake Albert
Edward from Lake Tanganyiks that
has long proved an unsolvsble puzzle
90 the British government.
A solution Of the problem was APP
parently reached -four years ago. IN
1894. when in convention Of the repre-
sentatives OF the two powers at Brus-
sells. the Congo Free State leased To
England a strip OF territory 15k miles
in breadth extending from the most
northerly port on Lake ~Tanganyika TO
the southerly end OF Lake Albert Ed
ward The terms of the lease gave
England no administrative or police
authority over the territory thus &C
auired. these powers being retained by
the Congo Free State: but the leasing
of the strip for a term virtually per-
petual supplied the missing link I'm
England's scheme of land acquisition
preliminary TO the building OF her
great railway.
In return for this concession the use
of a strip OF territory 15ls miles wide.
England leased to the Congo Free
State the southernmost Egyptian
province. Bahr Ell Ghazsl, which ex-
tends north and south from the second
90 the tenth parallel OF latitude. north;
from the Nile valley to the 25th merid-
fan east and west: and includes the
port of Mahagi on the Albert Nyanza.
No political rights e with either
lease: but TO the citizens OF both coun-
tries concerned were granted recipro-
cal rights Inc immunities In the terri
tories leased. and to the Congo Free
State the right to connect its own sys-
tenn Of telegraph lines with the En-
ghsh line. Although Bar FL Ghszsl
Is al Egyptian province. which has
yet to be -reconuuered. the fact that
England was willing to surrender the
occupancy OF a province. comprising
more than zoo. 900 square miles. for the
1000 square miles OF territory which
VIVIAN tANt e Nht WV ehN VI
way. shows her determination TO spare
no cost In carrying through her under
taking.
Whether or not the game was worth
the candle there has been no chance 10
demonstrate. for Germany made so
prompt and a protest against
the leasing OF the strip of territory TO
England that the Congo Free State
cancelled the lease. England has by
no means given the thing up. however,
and IL Is generally believed that tine
extraordinary amity recently deVel-
oped between that power and Germany
has its origin in a mutual agreement
reached as TO the question OF right OF
way between Lakes Tanganyika and
Albert Edward.
With this right OF way secured. ae
IL seems IL ultimately will be. the path
seems plain for the building OF the
railroad between Capetown and tho