The herald., 1898-01-30
English Nerves No Longer
TingIing
THE SOLUTION PLAINLY SEEN
OF SERIOUS INTERNATIONAL.
PROBLEMS
In Africa and in the Orient Great
Britain Now Sees Only
Success Ahead
A Associated Press Special Wire

Associated Press Special Wire
LONDON, Jan. 29.-(Copyrght, 1s9S.
After an unusually prolonged period o.
extreme tension, all signs point TO al
early Improvement in, if not complete
solution of, the various International po-
Great Britain. The foreign and colonial
offices are beginning to see daylight
through the darkness which has long
been enveloping the Far East, West AZ
RIGA, the Upper Nile and India, and, un-
less signs fail and information from the
best informed circles is faulty, the mar
quis of Salisbury and Mr.. Joseph Cham
berlain, secretary of state for the col
onies, will divide the honors, and Great
Britain will secure about all she asks.
So far as China is concerned, this view,
in connection with the speech of Mr..
CurZon, parliamentary secretary for the
foreign office, at Bottom on Tuesday, and
the reported acceptance of the British
loan, is generally regarded as correct.
MT. CuIZuu lOTSSildiONeu lilt pIODdple
success of the loan negotiations, the
achievement of Great Britain's purpose
in keeping the ports free to the whole
world, and the maintenance of treaty
rights, whereby spheres of influence are
rendered impossible"
The Russian proposal of a loan on the
same terms as those of Great Britain
was not taken seriously 1t is under
stood that she has not the money her
self, without drawing upon her war re-
serve funds. France is daily showing
less inclination to burn her fingers in
game in which, even if successful, Rus
sia would be iIle only gamer; while Ger
many appears to have set completely
around to the British side.
Throughout, the situation has never
been so alarming as sensationalists at
tempted to paint it. Hence the czars
peaceful assurances and Lord George
Hamilton's statement in his speech on
Tuesday that relations with Russia were
entirely satisfactory, will not have sur
prised America.
AFRICAN AFFAIRS
Turning to West Africa, an official of
the colonial office informs the Associated
Press that the impossibility of securing
witnesses from the west coast earlier is
the reason for the delay in the Paris
negotiations. Some of the most import
ant witnesses arrived only last week,
and they are now in Paris. Thus far all
the British demands have been conceded
nominally and professionally, pending
the result of the convention;" but Mr..
Chamberlain is perfectly satisfied that
the British claims will be upheld and
that the French will be confined west
ward of a line prolonged from the present
Lagos frontier to the Niger,
and along the right bank of the Niger
to Say. In the meantime he does not
propose to risk being caught mapping
by a probable adverse decision of the
convention, so he is pushing troops and
supplies to the front as rapidly as pos
sible. A new regiment of 2000 hussars
has been enrolled at Ibaden during the
last few weeks, and detachments will
be sent to the front as soon as the men
become efficient.
In repard to the Upper Nile, the inter-
esting news which Mr.. Curzon dropped
on Thursday to the effect that the rati-
fications of the treaty between reat
Britain and King Menelik of Abyssinia
have been exchanged, and that the gov
ernment hopes shortly to accredit a rep
resentative at the Abyssinia court has
given the greatest satisfaction as help
ing to solve the question of the Upper