The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-22

The Hon. Joseph Chamberlain recently
declared in the course of conVersant-ito6l,
that the French shore QueStiOn--ln otheI
words the transferring of Newfoundla1n99
to the British Empire-would be se seq e.,
within six months or that there WouIu pe
a war between the two countries, A. a.
though he added that he beheESo ~
question would be settled anlcaply, l ne
English War and Admiralty OFFICES 90 nor
seem to agree with him. Both oranchIe mes
of the service have been looking aIter the
defense of those waters for some tlIne
past and have taken some active steps
The War Of1ce's nearest important
station to Newfoundland is at Hal1fax,
the harbor of which within the past three
months has been thoroughly counterInln MIN
ed. The forts at the harbors mouth have
been manned by the full strength of the
Royal Artillery and Leinster Regimen
which are stationed at Halifax, and Tor
some time past they have had two drills
s daili. instead of the customary single
FASTER VESSELS
The Admiralty has informed the dock
yard authorities that it is their intention
to follow the lead of France in replacing
by better and faster vessels the war
ships that have been engaged in fishery
protection service on the coast of New
fE3undiiSa n The ships now in use, the
Gordel1a, Buzzard and others of that class
have been doing the work for some time
Ihe change has been prompted by in
french Government had previously de-
clded upon a similar course.
me French ships in Newfoundland
waters are of an antiquated type. The
Blgault de Genouilly, one of these is of
Ven Ven Is NO raster and she is smaller, while
t Sne thlTd, the Fulton, carries only one
hundred and sixteen men,
France is reported to have decided +o
substitute for these at least three fIet1
S CeciI, WarshIps- One of them will be the
CSsclIie, a hrst-class cruiser, with speed
% h11en mrs knots; She has tonnage
~ e. 20 and is only a few feet shorter
The second proposed addition 70 the
Srehcn squadron in these waters is me
SSIaXs haylng a speed of nearly seventeen
Knots and carrying two hundred ana niTe-
ty-eight men. The Keersint, which viii
a fiT r.y as dlSSpateh boat, is new and
Both Britain and France will make the
ADDITIONS to their marine power here In
the spring and the appearances Of the 1e NJ
S snIio3,. o. one nation viii be very quickly
An this hardly looks SI snG ike oth ngaoe Nor
IS the settlement of the rnOOted Gnas+fon
brought any nearer to a finaIftv4 bV tba
PToposltlon made in London to nav
france 100000 for the cession of The
"a ~ G99I itiy claims in Newfoundland
nation: and those e1O0. 900 sterling NAV
YET prlng her around to the English point
ANNEXATION.
II is because the French shore ques-
entry of Newfoundland into The con-
federation that Canadian public men are
negotiations with France. looking to the
surrender OF her treaty rights and pos
sessions on the Newfoundland coast
Successive attempts to arrange terms
OF union between Canada and the ancient
ion Cabinet Ministers recognize the in
fuence the French shore question vCoIlId
exercise in Canada s domestic politics and
half-hearted way. - q
In the words of prominent govern
ment ofhc1al; with our large French
Canadian population, it would be i'm
polite to annex Newfoundland with -
French shore question unsettIe5 ny 81
would mean that upon Canada Wonid AZ
volve the duty of agitatfne for the 81
tlement OF that question in the only way
in which II can ever be satisfactorily SET
tied namely. by the withdra-xSI ~
France from this continent altOpe+bor Sf
the loyalty of Freach-Canadians to the
all the same. they are French in senti
ment and speech
In the present state of affairs Na1,-
foundland'S principal wealth lies in az
tween France and England. of lib ana 17S2
France was given the right to the off
shore fisheries, with a right to build sta
tiOns for drying fish.
At present there are only seven fishing
stations along the coast and none of these
are profitable But the lobster fisheries
are, and it is over these lobster fisheries
that the English and French Foreign
Offices are wrangling with a threat of a
passage at arms to help along the nego-
tations- Within the next six months
British public, as ''reconcentrado'' was to
the United States in the first half year of
1sss.
LOBSTERS.
According to an authority on interna-
donal law these treaties do not Justify
the French in carrying on lobster packing
England's case does not depend on the dis
t1nction between crustacea and fish. The
question of the sovereignty of the soil is
involved. The treaties cede the French
the right to catch fish and dry them or