The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-01-08
THE FRENCH lRRITATED
Comments Of the London Times Show the
Situation to Be Acute.
THE ARTICLE SURPRISED TO BE INSPIRED
British Pubiic would Not Avoid a
wnr with Frnncc--Enslish Eeyp-
tian Protcctoratc Bonbshcli.

Copyrighted, 1899, by Associated Press)
London. january 7.--Al! events seem 10
work together In European politics to in
crense the tension between Great Britain
and France The past week has brought
Madagascar and Egypt forward as irri-
tants, Just when the mutual irritabilltv
! vas subyiding Even the most conseiv-
alive Observers begin to take pessimstic
view Of the relations between the tive
| powers. This includes these who up to
the present have considered the belligcr-
| ency to he mere talk, due to supersensi-
tiveness upon the part Of France and to
unnecessary grrffness upon the part of
Great Britain in insisting upon what she
| considers to be her rights
| On one siie France seems to foster tho
growing beiisf THAT Cheat Britain is de-
termined under some preteXt OF another
10 foice her into war. and is willing to
make pfetext II no plausible excuse
4 arises
On the other side. large part of the
| British public profess that their patience
has been strained beyond endurance by
| what they deem To- be the unvarnished dis
| honesty of French diplomacy.
| The past twenty four hours brought the
| publication of the Madagascar blue book,
which was followed by a leading editorial
In the Times dencuncing France in Ian
guago so fiery for that conservative news
paper that Frenchmen are reading tbs two
together and are constituting them as parts
lo' deliberate policy inspired by one
mind. That mind. in the theory of the
man in-tte street, lis Mr.. Joseph Cham
eerlain. the secretary of state for the
| colonies. Other papers may storm and
scold and are not noticed, but when the
Times becomes abusive foreigners inter-
pref 1t as being the voice of the govern
ment.
In the present instance, some English
men viii place the same construction upon
Jus Gtterances, recalling how the Times
ied tha No surrender" cry over the
fashoda incident under evident inspira-
ton. One fact is certain. public opinion
IN Great Britain will not sanction the
government to swerve an inch to avoid
war with France, thinking that il 1t must
come this is the best time to have it out
Many people give Importance to the is
sue of the Madagascar blue book almost
simultaneously with the quiet but unmis-
taxable announcement at khartoum by
which the British agent there Vit:count
Cromer. In his remarks to the sheiks, an
hounced that Great Britain had set her
seal on Egypt. If there ever was a doubt
IN the minds of her European rivals that
Great Britain intended to foreclose the
mortgage upon which she had expended
go much labor and blood to secure. it will
have been set at rest by the utterances of
Lord Cromer. A more definite notice that
treat brltainf' tenure of Egypt is per-
manent. could not be asked. The British
agent tod the assembled sheiks that
hencefortih they will live under the ioint
British and Egyptian flags. knowing no
sovereignty but that Of the queen and
khedlve, which OF course means that the
latter will be a harmless hgurehead.
rms formal assumption of sovereignty
over the So,ldal lis more disuasteful =,
France than TO any other nation and re-
newed protests may be expected
In the meantime another enterprisa OF
the utmost moment of the further.nce of
Great Britaln's domination IN africa is
about contaminated. Mr.. Cecil Rhodes,
the former governor OF Cape Colony. al
legged instdgatcr of the Jameson raid and
so-called Napoleon of South Africa is
going 10 England to arrange for pushing
forward the Cape and Cairo railroad so
long the dearest dream OF the myerial-
lists. A definite proposition will be pre-
scented by Mr.. Rhodes to London capital
lists for an extension of the railway from
Bulaw'syo to Lake Tanganyiha. He does
not pretend 1t Will be paying investment
from the start. It's Importance for som.
years will be political Instead OF comm r
cial and he hopes TO persuade the British
government TO smooth the way by guar
antes5ng IL per cent interest on thu
bonds to cover the cost of construction
Rhodes counts upon influencing mopsyei
men to back their patriotism with their
cash, even if re is unable to enlist the gov
eminent on his side II any man can
succeed in this project Mr.. Rhodes is the
man. But one barrier stands In the way
in the form OF "A Congo convention guaran~
teeing the neutrality OF the part of the
continent about Lake Tangsnayika, which
even the autocrat Of RhOdesia will find
hard to force. Here Germany has TIE
veto of Great Brltain's advance. which she
can not ba expected to waive without a
heavy indemnity.