Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1898-10-28
IICv|NGS Of THE TELEGRAPH
Eews Of the Day az Told Over the
SIen r " res.
C0MESTlC AID &c IElGN NEWS
Nar Cloud Dark.ns Because OF TIA" bii'
f"rence- Between France ana 'r"f'
britain over the Eashoda Matter
Both are Preparing for Trouble

Both are Preparing for Troubi"
Never since Great Britain and France
hrpan to dispute over Egypt. year
aVo. nor during the most acut" Stage
of the numerous Niger differences toe
tween those two countries has the sit
uation looked 50 ominous n IT now
does over the ! .Shoda incident. II l.
n fact that the French naval ana MN
tarv authorities are making teverlsn
preparations Tor war, and signIhcanl
ORDERS have been issued from the BnU
ish admiralty. indicating the behei
that Great Britain and France are ON
the brink Of war. The French naval
preparations were At first declared to
be mere routine arrangements, bu'
they are now admittedly directed
against Great britain. The French |
dockvards and arsenals are working |
at full pressure, hurriedly preparing |
warships and torpedo boats tor active !
service. At Cherburg and Toulon
the schools have been closed to
permit the use of the school build |
ings to be ueod as barracks fo1
| troonS and marines ordered to thoee
points. ON the British side. n fceiino
Of absolute sclf-confdcnce is displayed.
"Everything ready" is the burden OF
! all he atcments from naval quar-
tcrs In fact the British navy has
practically been on a war fOotin~ Tor
year past and an authoritative an
nouncemcnt TO this eff has come
from the secretary Of the admiralty.
! MI 1. I icf ia
nine British battleships and II fast
cruisers are lying in the Mediterra-
mean. while the British channel squad
rom which was last reported off Vii
largarcia. Spain. consisting of eight
| battleships and five cruisers, cOnstl-
tutes the most modern and powerful
homogeneous fleet of warships afioat.
The commanders Of ail warships of the
British North American squadron have
received orders TO mobilize at Halifax.
1t is understood that the British gov
eminent proposes to take the steps
necessary TO insist upon an early and
definite statement from Franco.
Kilograms from Balmoral intimate
that Queen Victoria is following the
trend of events VITA much chagrin.
Her aversion 10 war IN the declining
wears Of her reign is well-known and Is
an appreciate factor in the situation.
The French yellow book on Fashoda
seems TO indicate an intention on the
part of the French government to util-
ize the Marchand affair as means of
2 raising the whole Egyptian question.
/ II sets forth that France does not re-
I'll, al TO IA a n
\ by virtue of conquest as applying To
Fashoda. The Marchand expedition
: pushed forward at time when the
q equatorial provinces were lost 70 civil
o ization and France considered herself
r equally entitle ed with England to the
: possession of any point occupied by
French officers. AS Marchand reached
, Fashoda first. England has no right tc
? demand an evacuation of Fashoda prior
. to negotiations, and that such de
:, mand would be equivalent To an ulti
matuu md no one could doubt
!. what would be the reply of France.
The London press admits the gravity
of the situation revealed by the yellow
book. but the papers are unanimous IL
:. declaring that it is impossible for Lore
= Salisbury TO consent to any negotia
9 tions until Fashoda is evacuated. M
- Delcasse with equal trmness decline
to withdraw Marchand without previ
a Gus negotiations, the situation has al
ominous look However, Baron d.
Courcel, the French ambassador a
. London, and Lord Salisbury held
8 conversation in which the former prac
tically stated that France would relin
,e ouish Fashoda if she were granted
Nile outlet on the River Bahr-el-Gazal
p" one of the tributaries of the Nile, en-
:. tering it about $50 miles southwest O
= Fashoda at Mollrem-el- Bohur. In re
: ply Lord Salisbury said it would b
IS necessary that he consult his colleague
w and some claim to see in this poss
lie bilty of compromise.