The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-01-05

lands, near the Chinese coast, the
United States became in 1899 factor
in the commercial and political prob
lens of China. Her interests there
are said to coincide wholly with Eng
lands. N
But Lord Salisbury refused to nego-
tiate till the French withdrew from
Fashoda and the entire Nile Valley.
The British navy was modified and
war was plainly intended in case the
French refused to cancel their act of
defiance. After repeated efforts to
"negotiate,s the French government,
in view of the vast superiority of the
British fleet, ordered the evacuation
of the Upper Nile Valley.
The warlike t3ne'of British public
opinion was accentuated by the sue
cess Of the troops of Egypt and Eng
land in the operations conducted by
General Kitchener for the reconquest
of the Soudan. In the spring of 1898,
with some $4,000 men, Kitchener at
tackled 10000 Dervishes in fortified
position near the river Atbara, de-
stroying two-thirds of their number.
On September 2, after long march
up the Nile, the Anglo British army,
numbering $4,000, encountered the
Khalifa, with 10000 Dervishes, near
Omdurman. The Khalifa was beaten,
with the loss of some 80, 600 men killed
and wounded, and fled to Kordofan.
hhartoum was reoccupied, and a me-
mortal service was held among its
ruins in honor of General Gordon
thus slightly avenged. After Omdur-
man there were other fights with the
Dervishes at Gedares and on the Nile,
near Fashoda, with the result that
the entire Soudan east of the Nile,
and much of it west of the Nile, was
brought again under Egypt's rule.
In Uganda there was continuous
fighting, owing partly to mutiny of
Soudanese soldiers and partly to re-
bellion of Waganda, led by King
Mwanga. The year closes with peace
substantially restored.
In South Africa the general cleo
tiOns gave the Africanders majority
of one in the Assembly. The small
ness of the majority forced. Mr..
Schreiner to concede redistribution
which secures the party of Cecil
Rhodes predominance in the next
elections. In the Transvaal the out
put of gold exceeds in 1898 that of all
other countries. In other respects
the Transvaal is in difficulties. new
tyrannies of the Beers exasperating
the Uitlanders again almost to the
point of rebellion.
India ended the war with the tribes
on her northwest frontier by enforc-
ing their submission, and a new effort
of the Mad Mullah has failed. The
plague still wastes in certain cities,
but its ravages are somewhat re-
strained.
Greese obtained peace with Turkey
on the basis of a treaty which forces
her to pay old debts and takes away
her control of her revenue Crete,
the occasion of the war, obtains her
freedom, thanks to the interference
of England, Russia, Italy and France.
Macedonia has become the scene of
much political plotting by Bulgarians,
and rebellion there is feared.
Austria Hungary is in a state little
differing from anarchy, owing torace
and religious disputes. The past
year saw everything political in both
halves of the empire going from bad
to worse, and its break. up is a posi-
bic event of 1899.
Italy, after quelling an incipient re-
bellion at Milan and other points, is
recovering her stability. The riots
of May last were called bread riots"
but were, in reality, inspired by So
cialistic and clerical discomfort
Germany has had prosperous year
commercially, but has had to go
through severe financial stringency,
due to the collapse of the industrial
boom. Companies and trusts have
gone to the wall, confidence is shaken
and interest is high. The Emperor's
journey to Jerusalem is supposed to
have improved Germany's already
strong commercial position in the
Sultan's dominions. The army is
again being increased, as a result,
perhaps, of the policies of Bismark,
whose death in July was a notable
event.
An "Anglo-German agreement"
was formed during 1898, the terms of
which are secret. It's effect in inl-
proving the relations of the two pow
ers concerned is very marked Ger
many no longer opposes England in
South Africa, China or elsewhere.
Russia has been prominent by her
aggressions in China, her famine, her
large contracts for big battle ships,
the Cars disarmament proposal and
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