The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-18
Copyrighted. 1885, by til. Associated Press.

Copyrighted. 1898. by the Associated Press.
LONDON. Sept. 17.-Three or four
black thunder clouds are overhanging
the political horizon Of Europe.
The Dreyfus, Cretan and Egyptian
questions have become more acute and
1t is difficult at present to forecast the
outcome 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
q 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 of
fcial kilograms pouring in and out. 1t
is understood that the British Premier
has ordered that the most stringent
measures be taken at Gambia, Island of
Crete, where British troops were re-
Gently fired upon by Mussulmans, the
execution Of which only awaits the ar
rival Of sufficient achievements OF her
Majesty's 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
PREPARATION for the massacre Of Chris
tans and the insults to British arms.
Admiral Noel, the British naval COM
mander Of Cretan waters, has already
arranged with the other admirals for
the immediate withdrawal of the mill
tary contingents. The British SQUAD
ron now lying before Gambia is power
full enough TO rae that place in a few
hours.
The Turkish authorities at Gambia are
playing their old game of surrendering
a number Of nObOdes as the ringlead-
ers of the massacreS, while a number
of beys who are known to be the real
instigators of the trouble are still at
liberty, and are likely to remain so un-
less considerable further pressure is
brought to bear upon the Turks. AS
1t is the 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 2
o'clock in the morning in an endeavor
to persuade them to put bride upon
Admiral Noel, but he received cold
comfort from the representative 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 seri-
GUS views Of the matter.
- Meanwhile the situation at Gambia is
critical. Thousands of the most notori-
Gus Bashi Bazouks have now left the
town and fortified themselves just in
side the military Gordon, while outside
the Gordon a body of Christian insurg-
ents is gathered. They are like tigers
watching their prey, eager to spring
forward l. 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
by Admiral Noel that the Mussulman
population must be disarmed. The
British admiral is apparently determ-
ined to enforce the disarmament of the
Bashi Bazouks, whether Ii is agreeable
TO the Sultan or not.
The absence of news from Fashoda,
the important place about 400 miles
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 cheerfully
assumed that the British and Egyptian
flags are already flying there, whether
Major Marchand, the French COM
mander. is there or is not there.
The British newspapers have taken
most uncompromising attitude in re-
gard to Fashoda. They are daily issu-
ing warnings to France, telling her to
stand off or trouble will follow and
there is no doubt the Marquis of Sails
bury will have the nation behind him,
even if General Kitchener has to Gust