The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-30
SIGNIFICANCE
OF THE RETURN
OF MARCHAND
Tends to Clear Away
War Clouds.
HAS FRANCE BACKED DOWN?
BRITONS STILL BELIEVE he
WAS RECALLED.
Paris Papers Profess to Have Little
Faith in Russia's Aid in
the Event of
Conflict.
las FRANCE BACKED DOWN?
BRITONS STILL BELIEVE he
WAS RECALLED.
Copyrighted. 1888 by the Associated Press.

Copyrighted, 1885, by the Associated Press.
LONDON, Oct. 29.-The arrival Of
| Major Marchand at Khartoum, on his
/ way to Cairo, with the portion of his
report which was not finished wheI
! Captain Baratier left Fashoda, is re-
| garded as a rift in the clouds overhang-
! ing Anglo-French relations, for, in spite
| of the semi official denial issued II
! Paris that orders were sent to the
/ major to go to Cairo, it is fully be-
! lieved here that the French officer
would not be on his way to Cairo I'M
! less he had received a hint to that eff
/ feet from the French Government which
considers that his leaving Fashoda will
take the sting out of the situation, ano
at the same time prepare France fol
| the eventual withdrawal of the Whole
! expedition which now consists of seven
officers and 120 men.
The British view of the latest move
is that the Marquis of Salisbury and
his Ministers are delighted to afford
Major Marchand the facilities for
reaching Cairo. But they would
hardly care to send him back except
in the capacity of a guest or scientific
! explorer. That is to say, France will
first have to renounce her principal
claims based on his mission.
In the meantime in the voluntary re-
turn of Major Marchand, the French
Minister of Foreign Affairs, M. del
Case, and the Government of France
have got over great difficulty from a
diplomatic amour propre point OF view.
NJ. del Case had declared that the
French Government could not do the
impossible-that is to say, recall Major
Marchand. Therefore the latter's re-
turn has enabled the French Govern
ment to save its face as the saying
goes. 1t is recognized, however, that
even if the tri-color of France is hauled
down at Fashoda, the main subject t
dispute remains and may cause anx-
ious moments in both countries before
the Bahr- el-Ghazel question is settled,
although there has been a confident
feeling for the last few days that war
will be averted. The French Minis
terial crisis at first increased the feel
ing of anxiety which prevailed as to
the prospects of a peaceful solution;
but in the list of probable Ministers
the British newspapersAsee a body Of
experienced and capable men who are
able to lead French opinion.
The retention of NJ. del Case at the
head of the Ministry Of Foreign At
fairs, however, is not regarded favor
ably, as he is the father of the March
and adventure.
An instructive account of the origin
of the whole enterprise appears in an
important Paris paper, LIE Journal,
which says the Marquis de MOreS, the
Anglophobe, French explorer. who was
assassinated in the hinterland of Al
geria, really conceived grandiose plans,
which he submitted to NJ. del Case,
who fell in with his views and dis
patched Major Marchand to the Upper
Nile, while De Mores started for the
Sahara with the aVowed hope to con-
Quer, with the cooperation of March
and, the province of Bahr- -GhaZel.
The plan of campaign included the or
ganization of all the armed peoples OPP
posed to Great Britain, and included
even the cooperation of the Khalifa,
whose forces, led by Frenchmen. would
attack the British, and the Khalifa,
backed by the French explorers, would
thus interpose a buffer between Egypt
and Central Africa, thereby thwarting
British aims. De Mores and his party
were massacred at the outset of their
journey, but Marchand succeeded in
carrying out his part of the plan, and
there is reason to believe the French
Government now wishes he had not
done so. AS the Eclair says to-day:
Major Marchand returning? Why
then did we go to Fashoda? In order
to play the game we played against the
English we ought to have had a navy
capable of making q brave show
against the English, instead Of which
the fossils of our Navy Department
have left us incapable of fighting with
honor"
French newspapers seem to have lit
tie faith in Russia helping her ally in
the present crisis, while Russian dis
patches to the British papers affirm
positively that the Car is decidedly
opposed to war, and has counseled the
French to abandon their untenable at
titude 1t is even said that the Gar
has characterized the French attitude
as reckless.
The rumor from Paris Of the inten-
ton of the British Government to de-
clare Egypt under the protectorate Of
Great Britain has attracted little at
tention, as the general feeling is that
the moment is clearly inopportune for
such a step. It would be only playing
into the hands of France. There is
talk, however, of Great Britain adopt
ing extreme measures toward the Khe-
dive Of Egypt unless he modifies his at
titude It is well known that he re-
turns from each Of his visits to Euro
pean courts filed with sinister ideas
against British tutelage. But every act
of petulancy has been met with an iron
hand It is asserted that the Khedive
Abbislimi has shown no capacity for
government and is mere puppet in
the hands of Frenchmen. Consequently
it has been mooted that he is soon to be
deposed in favor of his brother. Mo-
manned Ali. who was born in 1875, and
who is a. brighter and more amiable
youth.
General Wesley Merritt and Mrs.
Merritt are still in London. Mrs. Mer-
rift is suffering from typhoid fever. AL
though her condition Is not serious, her
sickness viii necessitate her remaining
here for some time