The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-10
THE fASHODA BLUE BOOK
Correspondence Between English
and French Governments.
ADMITS NO COMPROMISE
England Took a Firm Stand and Would
Permit No Discussion of the March
and Incident-No Political
Significance.

London. Oct. s.-The foreign Office
has issued a Fashoda blu book. giving
the correspondence between the French
and British governments. II begins
with a dispatch dated Dec. ]. 1897. from
Sir Edmund Monson. British ambaHa-
dor at Paris. to Lord Salisbury. re-
ferring to rumors OF the massacre OF
the Marchand expedition and express
ing the ambassadors satisfaction that
he is allowed to acquaint NJ. Hanotaux.
French foreign minister Of that day.
with Lord Salisbury's vow that II other
questions are adjusted. Great Britain
will make no difficulty regarding the
French claims on the northern and
eastern shores OF Lake Tchad. The dis
patch shows. however, that the ambas-
sador made il clear hat this conces-
sion must not be understood as admit
ting the right of any European power
except Great Britain to occupy any
part OF the Nile valley.
NJ. Hanotaux replied on Dec. "a In
a long dispatch of respectful protest
against Lord Salisbury's views
on Aug. 2 Of this year., Lord Sails
bury wrote Lord Cramer. British diplo-
matte agent at Cairo. giving him In
structlons that, after the capture OF
Khartoum, two fiotillas should ascend
to Fashoda and 40 up the Blue Nile as
far as II should prove navigable for
steamers. Under these instructions the
sirdar was personally to m the
Fashoda iotilla and to take a few
troops IL he should consider ii desir-
able, the object being to assert Great
Britain's sphere of influence In the Nile
valley. on Sept. Z. Sir Edmund Mon
son reported to Lord Salisbury CONVEX
sation in which NJ. Del Case French
foreign minister. that Mar
chand 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. NJ. 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. y,
that Great Britain regarded the opera
lions Of the sirdar General Kitchener)
as placing all the territories OF Khalifa
AbduIlah by right of conquest, in the
hands Of the British and Egyptian gov
ernments and insisted that this conten-
ton admitted of nc discussion.
Then follows various dispatches re-
cording the discussion before Sir Ed
mund Monson and NJ. Del Case, the
latter explaining that Marchand was
now virtually a lieutenant to the Lio-
tard expedition and that. therefore, the
situation at Fashoda. even " Marchand
was there. could not be as dangerous as
Sir Edmund had represented.
on Sept. 20. still following the blue
book. the sirdar reported the results OF
his expedition to Fashoda. fully con-
frming the announcements already
cabled to the associated press, includ-
ing the fact hat General Ki~tcheners
removal there prevented a second Der
wish 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 re-
piled I'm the negative to General kitch-
ener's question whether he was pre-
pared to resist the hosting or the
Egyptian flag. but he maintained that
he had orders from the rench gov
eminent to ecu Fashoda.
ON the departure of the British forces
General Kitchener notified Major Mar
chand In writing that all transportation
of war material on the Nile was abso-
lutely prohibited.
The sirdar's dispatch concludes as
follows: THE chief 6hillocks came to
our camp and positively denied tina
hey 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 condition that
nothing could have prevented his ami
hilation by the Dervishes had we been
a fortnight later I'm crushing the khal-
ifa."
other dispatches indicate that NJ. Del
Case declined Great Britain's request
for the immediate recall of Major Mar
chand and that Great Britain agreed TO
dispatch a message for the French gov
eminent to Marchand as a matter OF
courtesy without accepting any respon-
sibility for the results or delay might
entail, and still maintaining that the
matter admitted Of no compromise.
In the inal dispatch, appearing in
the blue book. Lord Salisbury, under
date of Oct. 3. instructs Sir Edmund
Monson to inform NJ. Del Case that
the latter's message TO Major Mar
chand has been sent. but that Great
Britain views the Marchand mission as
having no political significance what
ever.
All the morning papers applaud Lord
~Salisbury's frmness In the Fashoda
question and the fact that he has APP
proved all the doings of General kitch-
ener.