Omaha daily bee., 1898-10-23
Neither Brisson Nor Salisbury Can Retreat
from His Present Position,
ONES PROPOSITION REJECTED BY OTHER
Meantime Warlike Preparations Are Being
Rushed in England,
ORDER FOR EIGHTY THOUSAND RIFLES
Entire Navy Can he Put in Condition
in Forty-EiEht Hours-Duke of
York Wants to Command
Cruiser.

Copyright, 1898, by Press Publishing Coz
LONDON, Oct. 22.-(New York World
Cablegram-Special Telegram )-Short Of an
actual declaration of war, the relations be-
tween England and France could not be
more critical than they are az the present
moment. The British and the French cabi
nets are in a castiron dilemma, from which
there is no apparent pacific escape. The
French premier, NJ. Brsson, is not strong
enough to climb down from his uutenable
position, while the British prime minister,
Lord Salisbury, is absolutely precluded-by
his own colleagues public declarations, as
well as by the unanimous feeling OF the
country-from receding one inch from the
demand for the withdrawal of Marchand
| from Fashoda.
heated controversy is in progress be-
| tween the London and the Paris press over
| the accuracy OF the statement made by the
! latter that negotiations have been under way
| since Lord Salisbury restated the British
| case In his dispatch Of October g. | can
state on the best authority that although no
negotiations in a diplomatic sense have
! taken place since that date Sir EdmunA
Monson, the British ambassador at Paris,
has seen NJ. Delcasse, the French minister
prejudice; has pointed out that if Major
Marchand is recalled France can then open
negotiations concerning the Nile valley and
| England will be prepared to enter into them.
| But VI. DelCasse has not assented to this
| proposition, knowing full well that If Major
| Marchand leaves Fashoda neither he nor
any other French representative will ever
get there again except at the cost of war.
NJ Delcasse, on his side, intimated that IL
| England should express a wish to have
Fashoda handed over to the king Of the
| Belgians pending the result OF negotiations
France could withdraw Marchand This
solution Ambassador Monson definitely de-
clined.
Public feeling here is exasperated by the
alleged inconclusive character of Marchand's
report. 1t is regarded merely as a French
trick-a belief to which the Times OF today
gives countenance.
Orders for Arms.
, Meantime military and naval prepara-
, tions are being pushed forward here steadily
| The Birmingham Small Arms factory has
, received an order for 50, 900 Lee Metford
, rifles and the government factories are
( working overtime turning out rifles under
the utmost pressure. A large portion o.
9 the volunteers still have only the Martin
Henry rifle, and the immediate object o
' the War department is to rearm them uni
formly with the regulars.
At the weekly muster of the volunteer
. in London today the number of men wit
turned out was 30 per cent in excess OF tn
= average, and this without any special ap
e peal. Enlisting with the regulars, whicI
d received great impetus after the captur
of Omdurman, shows a still further in
crease throughout the country during til
last week, while in London an EXCEPTIONAL
large access of recruits to the voluntee
), regiments is reported.
Naval Preparations.
The naval preparations are less under tn
public view, but are none the less signif
} cant. Orders have been given at the gov
i ernment dock yards to keep the ships clea
g as far as is possible None but essentif
RI repairs will be undertaken unless they ca
l. be completed within forty eight hours
II The great private yards throughout tn
J. British isles have been called upon to re
port what war ships are under constTut
10 ton for foreign powers, how soon they ca
S. be made ready for sea and what accommc
ID datons are available for urgent repairs
$ war ships,
= The admiralty officials claim that tn
n British fleet is in condition of complet
n, preparedness. They are as confident
Sc being able to dispose of the French flee
is as the United States were of vanquishin
the Spanish fleet.
I'd The new forty-siX ton gun mounted o
to twenty five British battleships and cruiser
d, which it is claimed can pierce three feet
lie the hardest armor known, is the shet
ly anchor of the British navar experts. The
is expect marvellous achievements from it.
iS 7 hoo of 70 Of has nc
s. an application to the admiralty for employ
le ment as captain of a first class cruiser
the event Of war.
eF Sieze Mnrchand First.
nc 1t is now stated here on official authorit
= as was cabled last week that the first a
: Of war will be the seizure of Marchand al
ho his deportation to Cairo This would be pr,
~ ~ ceded by notice to the French governmel
VI " allowing sufficient time to communica
Lu with Marchand by way of Khartoum. 1t
:. ! regarded in official circles here as a rath
81 awkward coincidence that the Srdar, Gel
81 eral Kitchener. and Captain Baratier, Maj
- Marchand's emissary, should be traveliI
together from Alexandria on a messager
No (French rne) steamer. They will both lar
at Marseilles and go thence to Paris. 1t
u feared that the inevitable demonstrations
eH welcome to Baratier may easily take on Il
3D. form of a hostile demonstration toward Il
- Sirdar.
ba Ready for Sea in Twenty-Four Hour
ss Copyright, 1898, by Associated PressJ
d. LONDON, Oct. GA prominent doc
nd yard official in an interview declares th
iss the circumstances OF the DNsent crisis h
en- been fully provided for in the mobilizati
nd scheme. He added that the British nay
Of authorities had all their ships ready a
lr- could commission a squadron Of cruise
le- and have them off the French coast in Il
than twenty four hours. This official a
lte pointed out that it was not for nothing II
les the British naval maneuvers were put
RS this year He added that the British sh
ost at the present moment have a larger 81
od ply Of coal on board and available and
i'm larger stock of provisions than ever kno
lily before