The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-26
England and France Reach an
Agreement in Africa.
BIG DIVISION OF sPolLS
France Dazzled by the Immense Empire
Secured to Her Control - Trouble
With the African Napoleon-Crit-
cism OF American Temperament.

came to an agreement in parceling out
the last portion of Africa still open to
'grabbers'' The agreement reached
disposes of hundreds of square miles.
| leaving only four recognized independ-
ent states throughout the continent
Morocco, Abyssinia, Liberia and the
| Orange Free States. The settlement
has given satisfaction in Great Britain,
| where it is generally considered fair
for both parties and as having especial
value in averting, as far as diplomatic
| documents can. future disputes. More
over, an important feature of the agree
ment providing equality in the CONNER
| cial treatment of the territory between
! Lake Tschad and the Nile is that it
| does not hamper Great Britain in the
| least, as her free trade system would
| have secured the commercial rights of
France, while the French concession of
equal rights improved the English po-
sition. In the face of French colonial
protection this Is a most valuable adj
vantage for Great Britain, which Is
fully appreciated here. The reception OF
the agreement by Europe Is decidedly
favorable. The Russians do not seem to
care, the Germans apparently hope for
compensation elsewhere, and are not
sorry to see Frances hands full Of CO.
lonial embarrassments while in France.
except for colonial faddists and inveter-
ate Anglophobes, the majority are
daZzled by the empire secured to them,
which they picture to themselves as a
second India and they also heave sigh
of relief at the fact that the matter has
finally been adjusted. -n.45
AS the Spectator remarks, "Only
n ton Tod
as they can only complain that the En-
glish have given away what they do not
possess. This criticism is quite true, but
Europe has been doing that on the Afri
can continent for 20 years and is going
to do the same in China. If Europe and
America have not a gradual suzerainty
over the world all their proceedings are
huge dacoitry; but, then. they affirm,
and, when necessary, enforce that very
suzerainty." "
The French government is hurrying
the bill to a ratification, and it is ex-
pected that it will be voted by the
chamber of deputies on Monday. M.
Delcasse, the French minister of foreign
affairs, counts on good majority.
One good result of the agreement Is
seen in the announcement published in
the Echo de Paris to-day of the sus
pension of a military scheme for the
defense of Corsica Algeria and Tunis
and the return of the troops recently
sent to Algeria and Tunis and the coast
towns of France owing to the tension
of the Anglo-French relations.
A Hornets Nest.
|, Soudanese experts predict that the
French will finally have hornets nest
around Lake Tschad, where several po-
tentates hold sway. The leading ruler
is Raheh, formerly slave in Upper
Egypt, who went westward and carved
| an empire for himself with his sword.
He is now styled the African Napol-
con-" has an army of 10000 men and
rules the territory southwest of Lake
Tschad. He is at loggarheads with the
neighboring sultan of Wadai, whose
country is also included in the French
sphere and who has nearly 100000 fol-
lowers among the Senoussi and whose
troops are said to be led by Europeans.
Frances policy is to foster the mutual
hatreds between Raheh and Wadai;
but, if this leads to an attempt to sub
due either of them, she will have
tremendous struggle before her, and
especially in the case of Wadai, as
thousands of Senoussi live in Tunis and
Algeria and would probably make COM
mon cause with their co-religionists In
Wadai. involving a confiagration in
Frances North African possessions.
ed as saying: Frances conquest Of
her new protectorate will be very diff
cult and will entail many sacrifices
The Windsor hotel fire and the execu
ton of Mrs. Place furnish the Speaker
with material for a dissertation on
American temperament, in which the
paper warmly defends Governor Roose-
welt. 1t says: THE execution excited
an indignant clamor: but, why anybody
should sympathize with the woman, it
is difficult to imagine. We do not hear
any clamor against the keepers of death
traps and the victims of the Windsor
hotel do not arouse that passion Of pity
that was bestowed upon the wild hui
| man beast, justly punished for her
crime. Men and women who rave be-
cause a murderess has an electric wire
attached TO her bare leg, cannot see
that it is criminal to build a hotel
which, when a curtain ignites, burns
like tissue paper. We should be glad
if Governor Roosevelt and a few reso-
| lutte, hard-headed men of the same type
force the municipal administration of
New York to close hotels which cannot
stand a reasonable test of security
Then the reformers might await the
| ruin of their political careers with
| equanimity."
| The French deputies are now agitated
| over the question of raising their sal
aries. A proposal was introduced in
the chamber yesterday to increase the
senators and deputies from 5000 to 49,
| 900 francs. The socialists, who are poor
warmly supported the measure One
deputy. NJ. Aristide Boyer, frankly sup
! ported the proposal on the ground that
| it would place the deputies out of the
reach of corruption, which brought
| severe rebuke on his head from the
president of the chamber. The motion
was overwhelmingly rejected.
The Statist prints a prominent article
of roseate hue from its special cor
respondent in America, during the
course of which he says: Never be-
fore have business conditions here been
so sound as at present. One of the
best indications of the present prosper
ity is the increase of money in circula-
ton. The position of the railway in
| dustries is another strong evidence Of
the existing prosperity. The railway
OUTLAWS will insure activity in the iron
and steel trades for months to come,
| besides giving increased work to other