The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-09-11
KITCnfNER'S CAMPAIGN
FOUGHT FOR THE BENEFIT OF
THE FRENCH
France Seizes Fashodee and the Brit
ton Must Back Down or
Go to War

| OMDURMAN, Sept 7.-(Delayed In trans
mission.)-An important incident occurred
this morning. II appears that The khalita
Obdulah, few days before the arrival here
u the Anglo Egyptian forces, learned tina;
force of white men had occupied Fash
oda, a town on the west bank Of the Nile
about four hundred miles south OF khart-
cum, and the capital Of very fertile anC
dcnseiy populated district. The Khai!fa
| Immediately sent two steamers 20 invest;
gate the report and one OF them returned
here this morning and surrendered TO Ger
era. Sir Herber; Kitchener. The COM
mander OF the steamer reported that on his
arrival at Fashoda he found tina; place &C.
cupied by a force of whites. The latter
opened heavy fire upon the steamer which
narrowly escaped humiliation. the crew
losing many men in killed and wounded.
From the bullets found in the hull Of the
steamer 1t seems to be certain that the
whites At Fashoda are force OF French
| troops. The British commander will send
flo;illa Of gunboas up the White Nile
as soon as possible to investigate the situa-
! ton Of affairs at Fashoda.
The Anglo Egyptian cavalry has cap
tured The principal wife Of The Khalifa, the
other Of Osman Digna, and Sheik Eddn.
They were found in extreme restitution
on the left bank of the Nile.
The dramatic news received from On
durham today. showing apparently that
Fashoda, on the White Nile, about 400
miles north Of Khartoum. has been occu
pied by a white force. causes the greatest
sensation. AS there seems N:tle room &c
dnuh, thu. the tronpS occupyinp that MIA cf
are French. this will prove disastrous set
back to the British victories in The Nile
and at once disposes Of he question Of a
British waterway to the Upper Nile. OF
course, It is possible that the force at Fash
oda may be British troops under Major
!! Macdonald, blu. this is most unlikely. as
the latest news received from Uganda an
ncunced that Macdonald had no; lief,
there at the end of May. and 1t is extreme
~ improbable that MacDonald's force
could have covered the distance from
Uganda to Fashoda in this time, more es-
pecially as. go far as is known. he had only
one small steel boa: with which 10 navi-
gate the Nile.
Almost every one regards the stores OF a
French expedition under Major Marchand
being near Fashoda as being nothing more
than bluff" but now there Is little
reason to hope that this is the case. The
news :hat British gunboats have started
for Fashoda opens the question whether a
conflict is likely to occur between them and
The force occupying Fashoda. The great
danger Is that the headstrong young
French officers may open fire on the gun
boats.
The strategic value of Fashoda has always
been insisted upon as being very grea..
Scientists and geographers have repeatedly
pointed out the possibility of damming up
tie Nile there and diverting the course OF
the river, so as TO make Lower Egypt
whose very existence depends on the Nile,
a waterless deser..
Additional evidence Of the fact that Gen.
Sir Herbert Kitchener expects serious and
important events to grow out Of the new
feature in the African situation comes
this afternoon, with the news that the
newspaper correspondents with the expedi-
ton are not allowed TO proceed to Fashoda
but have been ordered 10 return immediate
~ to Cairo.
If the French should claim sovereignty
over Fashoda, either Great Britain OF
France must back down in order to avoid
war.