The age-herald., 1899-03-26
FUTURE DISPUTES
 WILL BE AVOIDED FralCs and England Divide Africa Be-
 tween Them. BOTH NATIONS SATISFIED Reception Of the Agreement by Europe is Favorable. ONLY THE FRENCH ANGLOPHOBES Are Disconnected, and They Only Com plain That England Has Given Away What She Does Not Possess The African Napoleon"
BOTH NATIONS SATISFIED
ONLY THE FRENCH ANGLOPHOBES

London, March 25.-A red letter page in the history of Africa was turned this week when Great Britain and France came to an agreement in parcellng out the last portion of Africa still open to "grabbers." The agreement reached dsposes of hundreds of thousands of square miles, leaving only four recognized independent states throughout the continent-MorrocoA Abys- sinia, Liberia and the Orange Free State The settlement has given satisfaction in Great Britain where it is generally consid- cred very fair for both parties, and has especial value in finally averting, as far as diplomatic documents can, future disputes. Moreover, an important feature of the agreement providing equality in the com mercial treatment of the territory between Lako Tchad and the Nile is that it does not hamper Great Britain in the least, as her free trade system would have secured com- mercial rights Of France, while the French concession of equal rights improves the En- glish position.
 A Valuable Advantage
 In the face of the French colonial protec- tion, this is a most valuable advantage for Great Britain which is fully appreciated here.
 The reception of the agreement by Eu- rope 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 col onial faddists and inveterate Anglophobes, the majority are dazzled by the empire se- cured to them which they picture to them selves as a second India, and they also heave sigh of relief at the fact that the matter has finally been adjusted.
 As the Spectator remarks:
 "Only French Anglophobes are discon- tented, and they can only complain that the English have given away what they dc not possess. This criticism is quite true but Europe has been doing that in Africa for twenty years, and is going to do the same in China
 The French government is hurrying the bill to ratification, and 1t Is expected that it will be voted on by the chamber of dep- uties on Monday. M. Delcasse, the French minister of foreign affairs, counts on a good majority.
 One Good Result
 One good result of the agreement is seen in the announcement published in the Echo de Paris today of the suspension of mli- tary defenseS for the defence of Corsica, Algeria and Tunis and the coast towns of France owing to the tension of the Anglo French relations.
 Soudanese experts predict that the French will find they have a hornets nest in the region around Lake Tchad, where several powerful potentates hold sway. The leading ruler Is Rabeh, formerly a slave in upper Egypt who went westward and carved an empire for himself with his sword He Is now styled the African Napoleon" and has an army of 4oOOo and rules the territory southwest of Lake Tchad. He is at loggerheads with the nelghboring sultan of Wadai, whose coun- try is also included in the French sphere and who has nearly 3,000,000 followers among the Senoc and whose troops are said to be led by Europeans. Frances policy is to foster the mutual hatred be- tween Rabeh and Wadai but if this leads to an attempt to subdue 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 common cause with their coreligionists in Wadai, in- volving confia grafton in Frances North African possessions. Slatin Pasha in an interview is quoted as saying: Frances conquest of her new protectorate will be very difficult and entail many sacrifices"