Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-01-30
IN EUROPE
the lnterna-
tionaI Political Situation.
GREAT BRITAIN ON TOP
Lord Salisbury and Mr.Chambc rlaip Divide
Honors and England Secures All She
Asks for. King IIumbert's
Health Causes Uncasincss.

Copyright, 1898, by Associated Press).
LONDON, Jan. 29.-After an unusual
ly prolonged period of extreme tension,
all indications point to an early i'm
provement in, If not a complete solution
of, the various international political
problems agitating the nerves of great
Britain. The foreign and colonial Off
ces are beginning to see daylight
through the darkness which has long
been enveloping the far East, West At
RIGA. the upper Mile and India, and I'M
less signs fail and Information from the
best informed circles us faulty, the Mar
quis Of Salisbury and Mr.. Joseph Cham
bersain, secretary OF state for the col
oniess 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 Cur
zon, the preliminary secretary for the
foreign office, at Bolton, on Tuesday,
and the reported acceptance of the Brit
ish loan, is generally regarded as COR
rect. AS Mr.. Curzon foreshadowed the
probable success of the loan negotia-
tons, the achievement OF Great Brit
aims purpose in keeping the ports free
to the whole world and the maintena nee
OF treaty rights whereby spheres of
influence are rendered~imposshble.
The Russian proposal of a loan to
ain was not taken seriously. 1t is I'M
derstood that she has not the money
herself without drawing upon her war
reserve funds.
Paris is daily showing less inclination
to burn Its fingers in a game in which,
even If successful, Russia would be the
only gamer, while Germany appears to
have come completely around to the
British side. Throughout, the situat ton
has never been so alarming as sensa-
tionaliSts attempted to paint it. Hence
the Cars peaceful assurances and
Lord George Hamilton's statement in
his speech on Tuesday that relations
with Russia were entirely satisfactory,
will not surprise America.
Turning to West Africa. an official
Of the colonial office informs the Asso-
cfated Press that the impossibility of
securing witnesses from the West
earlier is the reason for the delay in the
Paris negotiations.
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 are upheld and that the French
will be confined westward of a line pro-
lonSed from the present IIagos-Da-
honey frontier to the Niger, and along
the meantime he does not propose to
risk being caught mapping by a possible
adverse decision of the convention, so
he is pushing troops and supplies to the
front as rapidly as possible.
In regard to THE upper Nile the in
teresting news which Mr.. Curzon drop
ped on Tuesday to the effect that the
ratification of the treaty between
Great Britain and King Menelek of
AbySsinha, have been exchanged and
that the government hopes shortly to
accredit a direct representative at the
Abyssinian court, has given the great
est satisfaction, as helping to solve the
question of the upper Nile. ,-ro--
In the meantime, young ~,
ISysxssaaaegiiswNSgSSe OF the Duke
Of Devonsh1res IS prepa ring to stare
again for Equatorial Africa, accom- PAM
ed by Lieutenant Andrews, eight arl.
fish officers and Mr.. Dodson, WIG W. ~
80 cnmnanion of DIR. Donaldson Smith,
the American explorer. MIR. Caven-
dish will take with him 400 armed men n
and a number of rapid firing guns. AZ
his objective point is the junction o.