The record-union., 1899-06-07
Not a Revolt Of CoIored Population
Against the French,
cut Purely a Trouble Between Naive and
Immigrant Lahorers.
The Situation Aggravated by the
Late Strained Relations Be-
tween France and Great Brit
ain, the Natives Having No Love
for the English.

for the English.
Correspondence of the Associated Press)
KINGSTON Uamaica), May oo.-Re-
cent advices from the French island OF
Guadeloupe indicate the continuance or
the so-called race war there, which led
last month to the partial destruction
of the industrial capital, Pinte-a-Pitre
by fire.
The war is not racial in the Ameri-
can sense of the adjective, and the use
of the term has done a good deal to
mislead public opinion. 1t is not re-
volt of the colored population against
the white French element, but purely
a trouble between the native laboring
population and the immigrant laborers
who have been introduced from the
English colonies to work on the sugar
estates. Nor is the difficulty new. me
French negroes have always been re-
calcitrant, refusing to work on the SUI
gar plantat ions for wages such as the
planters could pay. Ultimately the
situation became SO serious that sys-
tenn of labor immigration was resorted
to- Thousands of laborers were intro
duced from Japan and TIE nelghborlns
West Indian Islands. SO acute was
the race trouble with the Japanese that
they had to be repatriated in short Or
der. 1t was then thought that the ne
groes, being of the same race as the
natives, would do better. There was
little difference, however, although the
immigrants from Dominica and Saint
Lucia already spoke the local French
patois, and those from Barbados
quickly mastered it.
AT the bottom the difficulty was not
racial, but economic. The natives have
never allowed English immigrants to
work in peace; and nothing but contin-
ued readiness on the part Of the latter
and their being supported by the law,
has maintained peace between the rival
factions. Open rupture has been avoid
ed in the main, but there have been
numerous cases of individual trouble
and isolated fights have been frequent.
The late strained relations between
France and Great Britain seemed to
have aggravated the situation. The ma
tives planned general attack on tine
English. 1t was to be made as soonI as
war was declared. War did not come
off, but the native negroes were not to
be deferred by that fact. An attack
was made, although not so generally
as originally intended, and the 1mml-
grants from the estates in large num-
bers sought protection in the city OF
Fdnte-a-Pitre Thither they were pur-
sued and for a long time the local
forces We're incapable of restraining
disorder.
In the midst of it all sae city was
fired simultaneously from several
points, with the result that is known
Troops from the capital soon sup
pressed the rioting. but the trouble
continues and has assumed the form Of
serious problem. The natives accuse
the English Of having fired the town.
The English reply that the French ne
groes planned the fire, so as to have an
excuse for expelling the English.
Meanwhile the English immigrants,
individually and collectively, are in
danger Of their lives. They dare not
return to work except under military
guard, as that every estate where work
has been resumed is now a sort of can
Torment.
Outside these bounds the life of no
Englishman is secure and the prejudice
has spread to classes other than the
immigrants The British Consul is said
to have appealed to the Imperial Gov
eminent and possibly an international
question may arise. The planters
throughout the island are represented
as highly exercised over the situation.
If the plotLfor such it is generally
believed to amount to-that aims at
the withdrawal from the island of i'm
migrant laborers should succeed, plan
tiers will be thrown back upon the ma
tive laborers and be at their mercy.
This, it is thought, would practically
result in the suspension of cultivation,
for, even if the estates could support
the drain of high wages, under 20 con-
ditions could native labor be depended
on.
Advices from other sources say the
trouble is much deeper than any ques-
ton of labor It is said there exists in
all French colonies, among the negroes,
a traditional sentiment that freedom
must some day come, as it did to the
HaytienS These people exist in practi
cal serfdom which has not been amel-
iOrated under the republican Govern
ment. British ambition has been fired
by the reports which reach them on the
condition of the natives of Jamaica,
Granada and other English islands I'M
der the peasant proprietary system.
The idea seems to be that if the plan
tiers who monopolize the land could be
driven out the land would revert to the
natives, and the first step to this end
would be to render foreign immigration
impracticabIe
Between this and open rebellion there
is but step. The Government, how
ever, does not apprehend that it will be
taken. The gravity of the possibilities
is acknowledged, but the probabilities
are small and few owing to the absence
of leaders and competent initiative.
On the whole. it is believed that the
exemplary punishment of those most
directly responsible for the recent and
present trouble will obviate future diff
ficulty.
Another Rush to Klondike.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 6.-Scenes
almost equaling In excitement to those
which marked the departure of pros
pectors for the Klondike at the first an
ncuncement of the gold discovery, were