The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-10-24
A DENIAL FROM FRANCE
Semi Official Note Discredits Alarm.
ing War Rumors.
THE FRENCH FAsHODA BOOK.
1t Does Not Include Major March.
and's Report. Which VIII Be Pub
lished Later-An EndeavOr to Exalt
the Mission of Major Marchand.

the Mission of Major Marchand.
Paris. Oct 24--A emi-oficial note
issued last evening says: There is no
foundation for the alarmkst rumors re-
garding the relations betNeen France
and Great Britain. 1t is equally incor-
rect to say that extraordinary meas
ures have been taken at any of our
naval ports"
The Fashoda yellow book is volumin-
Gus, but it does not include Major
Marchand's report. which will be pub
lished later. The dispatches were
largely anticipated by the English
Fashoda blue book.
The diplomatic conversations record
ed show a curious endeavor on the
French side to represent that March
and's mission was quite as important
as General Kltchener's on the ground
that the struggle was against the
khalifa and barbarism. -
On Sept IS NJ. Delcasse, the foreign
minister, informed the British ambas-
sador to France, Sir Edmund Monson,
in explicit language, that France did
not regard Lord Salisbury's claim to
the Soudan by virtue Of conquest as
applying to Fashoda, on the ground
that the Marchand expedition went to
the relief of the French expedition
under Captain Licotard. which dated
from period long before the decla-
ration in the house of commons by
Sir Edward Grey, under secretary of
state for foreign affairs in Lord Rose
bery's cabinet. as to the policy of the
British government towards the Sou.
dan and AT time when the equatorial
provinces We're lost to civilization. In
fact, Nj. DelcaSse argued, unless Great
Britain possessed the sultan's mandate,
as well as the khedives, to acquire all
former Egyptian provinces France con-
sidered herself equally entitled with
England to possession of any point oc-
cupied by French officers.
Judging from the yellow book dis
patches the foregoing represents the
French standpoint. and M. Delcasse
contends that as Marchand reached
Fashoda first England has no right to
demand an evacuation of Tashoda
prior to negotiations.
On Sept. 30 NJ. Delcasse declared to
Sir Edward Monson that such a de-
mand would be equivalent to an ul-
timatum, and while he could afford to
sacrifice Frances material interests so
long as her honor was intact, for the
sake of the Anglo French entente. no
one could doubt what would be the
reply of France to such demand.
The subsequent dispatches appearing
In the yellow book relate to conversa-
tons between Baron De Courcel.
French ambassador in London, and
Lord Salisbury, the latter contending
that the capture of Khartoum entitled
Egypt to possession of all the mahdi's
domnions, and the French ambassa-
dor arguing that Major Marchand had
captured Fashoda before General
Kitchener took khartoum and that
France had for long time held sew
eral posts In the Bahr-El- Gazal.
Lord Sailsbery retorted that the
French forces in the regions referred
to were too weak to constitute effective
occupation.
A final dispatch, dated Oct. 12, from
Baron De Courcel to M. Delcasse
records a conversation with Lord Sails
berry, that the French ambassador
claimed access to the Nile through the
Bhar- El-Gazal and asked an amicable
delimitAton Of the respective spheres
Of interest to the two powers, in reply
% which Lord Salisbury indicated that
t would be necessary for him to con-
suit his colleagues.
Baron De Courcel, having represented
hat it would be impossible for Major
Narchand to retire until it was settled
where he should go and how the evac-
lation was to be effected, Lord Sails
1ery, after rejecting very seriously.
aid he was not sufficiently acquainted
Vith the geography of Africa to reply
or the present regarding delimitation.
md moreover that he could not enter
nto projects of that nature without
Onsulting his colleagues.
Baron De Courcel concludes the dis
'atch Of Oct. u by saying:
81 quilted him on these explanations,
which We're pronounced in concila-
ory tone