The record-union., 1898-09-18
Difficult at Present to Forecast the Out
come In Either Case.
The Marquis Of Salisbury Orders
That Most Stringent Measures
Be Taken at Candia-Powers
Disposed to Give Great Britain
Free Hand to Obtain Repara-
ton for the Massacre of Chris
tians.

LONDON, Sept. 11.-Three or four
black thunder clouds are overhansinS
the political horizon of Europe. The
Dreyfus, Cretan and Egyptian ques-
tions have become more acute and 1t IS
difficult at present to forecast the out
come in either case.
An indication of the activity in the
official world is found in the fact that
the Marquis of Salisbury, who went for
a quiet holiday to take the waters OF
ContreVille has had a special telegraph
office established at his hotel this week,
in order to deal with the mass of ofti-
cial kilograms pouring in and out. 1t
is understood that the Baitish Premier
has ordered that the most stringent
measures be taken at Gambia, Island or
Crete. where British troops were re-
cenly fired upon by Mussumans, the
execution of which only awaits the ar
rival of sufficient reinforcements of her
majestys soldiers, who now number
1000 there, while another battalion is
on its way to Gambia from Egypt.
The most recent advices tend to show
that the Powers are disposed to give
Great Britain a free hand to obtain re-
paration for the massacre of Christians
miral Noel, the British naval COM
mander in Cretan waters, has already
arranged with the other Admirals for
the immediate withdrawal of the mill
tary contingents. The British squadron
now lying before Gambia is powerful
enough to raze that place in a few
hours.
The Turkish authorities at Gambia
are playing their old game of surrend-
ering number of nobodies as ring
leaders of the massacres, While num-
ber of Beys, who are known to be the
real instigators of the trouble, are still
at liberty and are likely to remain 50.
unless considerable further pressure is
brought to bear upon the Turks.
AS it is, prompt action of the British
Admiral gave the Sultan a bad fright
He sent his Foreign Minister to arouse
the ambassadors from their beds at :
o'clock in the morning, in an endeavor
to persuade them to put a bride upon
Admiral Noel, but he received cold
comfort from the representatives of the
Powers. The British Charge d'Affaires
replied to the Turkish representations
in the strongest terms. He said the
Mussulmans were "unprovoked MUIR
derers of British sailors" and that the
British Government took the most ser
ious view of the matter.
Meanwhile the situation at Gambia
is critical. Thousands of the most no.
torious Bashi Bazouks have now left
the town and fortified themselves just
inside the military Gordon, while outside
the Gordon a body of Christian insur-
gents are gathered. They are like tigers
watching for their prey, eager to
spring forward if the Bashi Bazouks
attempt to leave the town. The
chances of bloody fighting hinge upon
the Turkish Government and Edhem
| Pasha, the Turkish Governor, who has
asked for instructions, after having
been notified by Admiral Noel that the
Mussulman population must be dis
| armed. The British Admiral is appar-
emily determined to enforce the dis
armament of the Bashi Bazourks, whe-
| ther it is agreeable to the Sultan or not
The absence of news from Fashoda
! the important place about 400 miles
I south of Khartoum, which is reported
| to have been occupied by a French
| force, has put the British upon tenter
| hooks; but they have implicit faith in
| the British commander, General Sir
| Herbert Kitchener, and have cheer
| fully assumed that the British and
| Egyptian flags are already flying there
| whether Major Marchand the French
| commander, is there or is not there
| The British newspapers have taken a
| most uncompromising attitude in re-
gard to Fashoda. They are daily issu-
! ing warnings to France, telling her tC
| let loose and off or trouble will follow
| and there is no doubt the Marquis OF
| Salisbury will have the nation behind
| him, even if General Kitchener has tc
! oust Major Marchand from FashoCa by
| force of arms.
| The French newspapers. which first
| took the matter quietly, are now in.
! dulging in truculent articles They
! declare that if Major Marchand is re.
ally at Fashoda he will stay there. The
idea that Fashoda is within the Egyp.
tian sphere is pooh-poohed Otherwise
| it is asked. what right has Great Bri.
tain to Uguanda, which belonged to the
former Egyptian equatorial province
The Echo de Paris" says: "Tht
| Sirdans forces dare not fire upon Major
Marchand, for France is behind him
England must now consent to a Euro.
/ II.
| The "Soleil'' adopts the perfidous AL
! bion line of argument and thinks tbs
report of Major Marchands arrival a.
Fashoda is a British trick to prepare
public opinion for an immediate ad
vance upon Fashoda before the French
arrive there.
The interesting announcement is made
that the whole cost of the Nile cam
paign since 1896 has been only f2.60O.
600, including, f1,O000O0 spent upor
| the Soudan railroads, of which 5Ot
miles have been constructed durins
that time. General Kitchener has decid
ed to destroy the tomb of the Mahdi a
| Omdurman, which was so prominent {
mark for the British artillery durins
| the bombardment. This step will b,
| taken in order to prevent Omdurmal
| becoming a second Mecca.
| How the United States will admins
ter it's new possessions and how larg
these possessions will be, continues t,
be the subject for considerable specula
| ton in the European newspapers Da