The age-herald., 1898-10-25
PREPARING FOR
 THE BATTLE France Must Back Down OT
 Fight England ANOTHER BLUEBOOK ISSUE Lord Salisbury Will Not Reeede
 from His Position. FASHODA MUST BE EVACUATED Or the English Channel Squadron Will
 Attack the French Fleet. FRANCE SEEKING A LOOPHOLE The Decision May Have Already Been Taken to Withdraw Major Mar
 chand from the Valley ofthe
Or the English Channel Squadron Will
 Attack the French Fleet.
FRANCE SEEKING A LooPHoLE
The Decision May Have Already Been Taken to Withdraw Major Mar chand from the Valley oft the
 Nile Without More Ado.

London, October 2.-The British admi- rality issued number of significant orders this morning. The dock yards at Ports mouth, Davenport and Chatham have each received instructions to prepare six thirty knot torpedo boat destroyers for commis- sioning so that they will be able to put to sea in twenty-four hours.
 Overtime hours have begun on the first class cruisers Europa and Adromeada so as to hurry them for sea service.
 Several gunboats in the different dock yards have been ordered to postpone un- necessary refitting.
 Finally, the Cunard line and White Star line have received from the admirality an intimation to hold their subsidized steamers in readiness for turning over to the navy officials.
 Baron De Courceps Report
 The afternoon newspapers here today dis cuss the report of the French ambassador, Baron de Courcel, on the subject of the con- versation he had with the Marquis of Salisbury regarding the proposed French outlet on the Nile being the leadins feat ure of the Yellow Boo.e on the Fashoda question issued yesterday by the French government.
 The conservative organs scout the idea of the Marquis of Salisbury entertaining the surrender of Bahr-El- Ghazal Valley to the French and the Pail Mall Gazette and the Globe suggest that the ambassador mis- understood the premier and called on the latter to make some explanation.
 The liberal and radical papers are not displeased at the prospect of a compromise being arrived at, and they believe that pro- vided Major Marchand is recalled the dis pute is susceptible to an arrangement by which France will receive some satisfaction in the Bahr- -El-Ghazal district
 Anothe Blue Book
 The British government will issue another blue book tonight, the most important feat ure of which will be a dispatch dated Octo- Der 12 from the Marquis of Salisbury, to the British ambassador at Paris, Sir Ed- mund Monson, relating to the previous in- tervicw with Baron de Courcel in which the latter wished to ascertain what solution of the question was possible. In this despatch the Marquis of Salisbury says:
 q insisted that the Nile valley had be- longed and still belonged to Egypt and that whatever dminution that title had suffered by the Mahdis conquest had been removed by the victory at Omdurman.
 The Marqus of Salisbury then pointed out the helplessness of Major Marchand's posi- ton, which Baron De Courcel denied and
  Baron De Courcel's suggestion offered to supply Major Marchand with food and ann munition in order that he might be able to reach French territory.
 Baron De Courcel then said France want ed an outlet to the Nile and the Marquis of Salisbury requested that the whole prop osition be made in writing
 The Sal sbury dispatch in conclusion said: 'The extreme indefniteness of Baron De Courcers proposition made 1t impossible for me to express or to form an opinion reia- tive to the territory claimed by France in the Bahr-Fl- -Ghazal region. Under the cir cumstances the discussion has been fruit ful of misapprehension. I informed him that it was in no way my duty to discuss the French claims now, but that In aostam- ing therefrom must not be understood as in any degree admitting their validity"
 Letters from Mustapha
 The blue book also contains interesting letters from Mustapha. the regent of Egypt 10 General Kitchener and Lord Cromer. the British diplomatic agent, respectively, showing Egypt's attitude. He wrote to General Kitchener warmly thanking him for taking possession of Fashoda and there by reconquering for Egypt the provinces which assure her existence, from which she only retired provisionally.
 The regent in writing to Lord Cromer pro- tested against "the French violation of Egyptian territory" adding that Egypt had never lost sight of the re-occupation of the provinces of the Soudan which are the actual sources of the vitality of Egypt He also said that the reconquest of Khartoum would fail to have it's effect if the valley of the Nile was not restored to Egypt. Mustapha concluded with referring to the Anglo-French discussion on the question of Fashoda, urging Lord Cromer to use his rood offices with the Marquis of Salisbury Gin tiler that the rnecntes stit rights of Egypt may be recognized and that all the provinces occupied to the resident Mon- hanid be restorel to her. s :. ' France Also Preparing sf e.ss aThe British cabinet council has been fix ed for Thursday.
 Paris, October A-The municipal author ities of Toulon have been notified that that place will be the centre of important naval and military preparations and have been t>structed tn arran0e for the immediate