The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-10-24
4 DENIAL FROM FRANCE
Semi Official Note Disoredits Alarm
ing War Rumors.
THE FRENCH FAsHoDA BOOK.

IL Does Not Include Major Marcb-
and's Report, Which VIII Be Pub
lished Later-An Endeavor to ExaIt
the Mission OF Major Marchand.
Paris, Oct 24.-A semi-officlal note
issued last evening says: There is no
foundation for the alarmist rumors re-
garding the relations between France
and Great Britain. 1t is equally incor-
rect to say that extraordinary meas
ures have been taken at any of our
naval ports"
The Fashoda yellow book Is volumin-
Gus, but 1t does not include Major
Marchand's report, which will be pub
lished later. The dispatches were
largely anticipated by the English
Fashoda blue book
The diplomatic conversations record
ed show a curious endeavor on the
French side to represent that March
ands mission was quite as important
as General Kltchener's, on the ground
that the struggle was against the
khalifa and barbarism.
on Sept. Is NJ. Delcasse, the foreign
minister, informed the British ambas-
sador to France, Sir Edmund Monson,
in explicit language, that France did
| not regard Lord Salisbury's claim to
the Soudan by virtue Of conquest as
applying to Fashoda, on the ground
that the Marchand expedition went to
the relief of the French expedition
! under Captain Iicotard, which dated
from period long before the decla-
ration In the house of commons by
Sir Edward Grey under secretary of
state for foreign affairs In Lord Rose
bery's cabinet, as to the policy of the
British government towards the Sou
dan and at a time when the equatorial
provinces were lost to civilization. In
fact, NJ. Delcasse argued, unless Great
Britain possessed the sultan's mandate,
as well as the khedive's, to acquire all
former Egyptian provinces France con-
sidered herself equally entitled with
England to possession of any point oc-
cupied by French officers.
Judging from the yellow book dis
patches the foregoing represents the
French standpoint, and NJ. Delcasse
contends that as Marchand reached
Fashoda first England has no right to
demand an evacuation of Fashoda
prior to negotiations.
On Sept. 80 M. Delcasse declared to
Sir Edward Monson that such de-
mand would be equivalent to an ul-
timatum, and while he could afford to
sacrifice Frances material interests so
long as her honor was intact for the
sake of the Anglo-French entente, no
one could doubt what would be the
reply of France to such a demand.
The subsequent dispatches appearing
In the yellow book relate to conversa-
tlons between Baron De Courcel.
| oh lNn- nd
Lord Salisbury, the latter contending
that the capture of Khartoum entitled
Egypt to possession of all the mahdi's s
dominions, and the French ambassa-
dor arguing that Major Marchand had
captured Fashoda before General
Kitchener took Khartoum and that
France had for a long time held sew
eral posts in the Bahr- Ell Gazal.
Lord Sailsbery retorted that the
French forces in the regions referred
to were too weak to constitute effective
occupation.
A final dispatch. dated Oct. IL, from
Baron De Courcel to NJ. Delcasse
records a conversation with Lord Sails
berry, that the French ambassador
claimed access to the Nile through the
Bhar- Ell -Gazal and asked an amicable
delimitation of the respective spheres
Of interest to the two powers, in reply
to which Lord Salisbery indicated thai
1t would be necessary for him to con-
suit his colleagues.
Baron De Courcel, having represented
that 1t would be impossible for Major
Marchand to retire until 1t was settled
where he should go and how the evac-
uation was to be effected, Lord Sails.
berry, after rejecting very seriously
said he was not sufficiently acquainted
with the geography of Africa to reply
for the present regarding delimitation
and moreover that he could not enter
into projects of that nature without
consulting his colleagues.
Baron De Courcel concludes the dis
patch of Oct. IL by saying:
II quilted him on these explanations
which were pronounced in concilia-
tory tone"