The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-12-29
No SECRET TREATY
SENSATIONAL STORY OF GREAT
BRITAIN'S SEIZURE OF della
GOA BAY DENIED
DENIAL CONES FROM BERLIN
ALLEGED ANGLO-GERMAN-P
GUEsE UNDERSTANDING ALSO
SECUTED IN PARIS
NO PRESSURE IS PROBABLE

Complications MachInatfona of
Herr POtt, who Is TransvaaI-
EetherIands POO-Bah In LOurenzO
Marques, Arouse Ire of English.
BERLIN, Dec. S.-Regarding the story
published by the Lokal Anzelger that q
secret observation-disclosures treaty
exists for the division of the Portuguese
colonies in South Africa the correspond
ent Of the Associated Press Is authorized
on the highest authority that the story
is pure fiction and without any founda-
tion. The high official who authorized the
denial said:
There is no objection that the under
standing had by Great Britain, Germany
and Portugal refers only 20 Africa, and
leaves Asia wholly out of account It is
quite certain that Germany, under no
consideration, would conclude such a
bargain with Portugal as the Lokal
Anzeiger sets forth Any one with the
slightest political sense ought to see that
these tiny enclaves in the midst Of Brit
ish India are the last colonial possessions
Germany would dream of"
STORY OF THE DEAL.
BERLIN. Dec. 2S.-The Lokal Anzeiger
publishes the contents Of the German
Fnglish-P Portuguese secret treaty This
double treaty will have executive force
as soon as the Swiss jurists, Messrs.
Blaesi, Hensier and GoIdau, have given
decision in the Delagoa arbitration
The decision, It is expected, will be Civ
en in January or February, and will prob
ably be in favor Of England, in which
oeca por+,,oa1
America an indemnity of 81, 500 O00 Eng
land obtained in 1891 from Portugal the
right of presumption in Delagoa bay. The
cesslon of Delagoa bay to England may
therefore be expected in March next
1t is possible that President Kruger
may now declare war on Portugal and at
tack Delagoa at once in order to prevent
any Interference by France or Russia.
England concluded secret treaty with
Germany regarding the complete parti-
ton of Portuguese colonial possessions.
Germany is to receive all Portuguese pos
sessions in Asia, with $1,000 square miles
of territory and 1,000O0O inhabitants
Germany further receives in Africa all
Portuguese territory north of Mozam-
blque, except a strip of land three miles
wide for Mr. Cecil Rhodes trans-Afri-
TAN TdlEOaQ. + OF IOlS the GSfndn gov
srnment will pay Portugal s25, ,0O0, GOO The
surprising part In the statement of the
LokaI Anzelger is that it refers to Asia,
when it has repeatedly been asserted at
he foreign Office that the treaty only re-
iers to Africa and did not refer to Asia.
1t must, however. be remembered that
the Lokal Anzelger was in a position to
publish the Samoa treaty twenty-four
he. =, til ,L-1g
place.
England receives the remaining Afri-
ran possessions of Portugal, that is to
say. Timor, Goa, Damaio, Macao and
Diu, which contain 2000,0 square kiIo-
meters and have 13, O0O 600 inhabitants
The consent of Portugal 10 this arrange
ment has already been obtained in prin-
ciple.
The Lokal Anzeiger declares it has the
news from such d source that no denial
is possible
NOT A SURPRISE
That Great Britain would ultimately be-
come the possessor of Delogoa bay" has
long been expected. It has been known
for some years that negotiations for the
transfer have, with more or less secrecy.
been carried on between Portugal ard
Great Britain. Domestic and political
considerations have deferred Portugal
from parting with one of her most val
liable possessions. 1t would not be sur
prising if Great Britain under stress OF
present circumstances acted upon the ne
gouations Of the last few years and pre S.
ed for the completion of the understand
ing between the two countries The pres
ent town OF Lourenzo Marques, not in
frequently called Delagoa Bay, dates onIv
from 1861 1t is built on the site of an
old village named in honor of the old nav
igator, who in 1914 planted the first I'or
tuguese flag there The harbor has been
compared with the two finest in the
world, Rio and Sydney, and properly de
veloped it would become the maritime
port Of the whole Of the basin of the Linz
popO river and of the states occupying the
plateau of South Africa Great Britain
from 1920 onward disputed the claims of
Portugal to the ownership of Delagoa
Bay and based its own claims upon an oc-
cupatiOn by the Dutch of which the re-
version fell to her. Capt. Owens. carry
ing out surveys, in 1928 obtained a con-
cessiop from the native chiefs concerned
in its shores.
The dispute was ultimately referred TO
the arbitration of the president Of the
French republic, Marshal MacManon
whose award in 1875 was given in favor Of
Portugal Great Britain, however, did not
relinquish her aims, and she cOnsoled her
self for the loss of the actual ownership
by obtaining a right of presumption under
the Anglo-Portuguese agreement of 1891.
Under this instrument, Great Britain
and Portugal agreed that in the event of
'one Of the two owners proposing TO part
with any of the territories to the south
of the Zambesi, the other shall be recog-
nized as possessing a preferential right
to the territories in question, or any por-
tiOn of them
This is held to give to Great Britain the
right of pre-emption whenever Portugal
Is IN such financial straits as to need 10
sell her rights in the bay She was said
to be IN such difficulties last year and
only domestic political considerations in
Lisbon then prevented her acting upon
, the agreement
NOT CREDITED IN PARIS
PARIS, Dec. 2S-The publication by the
Lokal Anzeiger, of Berlin, of the secret
treaty between Germany, Portugal and
Great Britain, providing for the partition
Of the Portuguese colonies, meets with
no credence in official circles here. A
foreign office official said to represent
RuYe Of the Associated Press that their