The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-10-10
A FASHODA BLUE BOOK.
Correspondence Between the French
and British Governments.
LORD SALISBURY DETERMINED.

The Correspondence Shows That the
BrIOish Would Have Resisted with
Force of Arms Any Interference
with Their Plan of Campaign.
London, Oct. 1O.-The foreign office
has issued Fashoda blue book giving
the correspondence between the French
and British governments.
1t begins with a dispatch dated Dec.
TO- 1897, from Sir Edmund Monson
British ambassador at Paris, to Lord
Salisbury, referring to rumors Of the
massacre OF the Marchand expedition,
and expressing the ambassadors sat
isfaction that he has been allowed to
acquaint M. Hanotaux (French for
eign minister Of that day. with Lord
Sallsbury's view that, If other questions
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 must
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
long dispatch of respectful protest
against Lord Sallsbury's view.
On Aug. 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 II
should prove navigable for steamers.
Under these instructions the slrdar was
personally to command the Fashoda
flotilla and to take a few troops, IL
he should consider 1t desirable, the OBJ
jeot being to assert Great Britain's
sphere of influence in the Nile valley.
On Sept. Sir Edward MonsOn re-
ported to Lord Salisbury conversa-
tion in which NJ. 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 to lead to local conflict. M. Del
casse further expressed a conviction
that the matter was susceptible OF ar
rangement 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
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-
cordlng the discussion between Sir Ed
mund Monson and NJ. 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-
| firmlng the announcements already
cabled to the press, including the fact
that General Kitchner's arrival there
| prevented a 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 Kitcheners
| question whether he was prepared to
resist the holsting of the Egyptian
| flag, but he maintained that he had
orders from 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 Shiilocks came to
] our camp and positively denied that
they had concluded any treaty with
Marchand while all the Shillocks de-
clared their allegiance to the British
| government. Moreover, Marchand was
in such a precarious position that
nothing could have prevented his an
initiation by the dervishes had we been
| fortnight later In crushing the
| khalifa."
Other dispatches indicate that M.
Delcasse declined Great Britain's re-
| quest for the immediate recall of Major
Marchand, and that Great Britain
| agreed to dispatch a message for
| the French government to March,
and as matter of courtesy. without
accepting any responsibility for the
results delay might entail, and still
maintaining that the matter admitted
| Of no compromise.
In the final dispatch appearing in the
blue boook Lord Salisbury, under date
of Oct. 3, nstructs Sir Edmund Mon
| son to inform NJ. Delcasse that the lat
| ter's message to Major Marchand has
| been sent, but that Great Britain Views
the Marchand mission as having no
| political significance whatever.