The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-12-28
WAY is OPEN.
President Kruger May Declare
War Against Portugal.
She rs About to Convey DelagOa
Bay to Great Britain.
A HUGE LAND DEAL.
All Portuguese Territory In
Asia and Africa
To Be Divided Up Between Eng
land and Germany
Terms of Secret Treaty Are
Now Coming to Light.
KAISER WAS TAKEN IN
To Prevent Interference of
Russia or France
With an Arrangement mimi
cal to Their Interests.
KAISER WAS TAKEN IN
To Prevent Interference of
Russia or France
With an Arrangement mimi
cal to Their Interests.

New York. Dec. 2S.-A Herald dis
patch from Berlin says:
The Lolzale Anzeiger publishes the
contents of the German nglish-Portu-
guese secret treaty. This double treaty
will have executive force as soon as the
Swiss jurists. Messrs. Blaesi Hensler
and Goldau, have given a decision in
the Delagoa arbitration.
The decision, it is expected will be
given in January or February and will
probably be in favor of England, in
which case Portugal must pay to Eng
land and America an indemnity of l.
100000 pounds sterling.
England obtained in 1891 from Por-
tugaI the right of pre-emption in Della
goa Bay, the cessiOn of DelagOa Bay
TO England therefore may be expected
in March next. It is possible that Pres
fdent Kruger may now declare war on
Portugal and attack Delagoa at once.
In order to prevent any interference
by France or Russia with England
secret treaty has been negotiated with
Germany regarding the complete parti-
ttOn of Portuguese colonial possessions
Germany is to receive all Portuguese
possessions in Asia-that is to say
Timor, Goa, Damao Maco and Diu,
with twenty thousand square miles OF
territory and a million inhabitants.
Germany further receives in Africa
all Portuguese territory north of Mo
zambique, except a strip of land three
miles wide for Mr.. Cecil Rhodes trans
African railway For this the German
government Will pay Portugal 25,OOO, 900
marks
The surprising part in the statement
Of the Lokale AnZeiger is that it refers
10 Asia, when it has repeatedly been
asserted at the foreign office that the
treaty only refers to Africa and did not
refer to Asia 1t must however be re
mem bered that the LOkaleAnzeige was
in a position to publish the Samoa
treaty "A hours before the official publi-
cation took place.
England receives the remaining Afri-
can possessions of Portugal which con-
tain two million square kilometres and
have thirteen million inhabitants.
The consent of Portugal to this ar
rangement has already been obtained
in principle.
The LokaIe Anzeiger declares it has
news from such a source that no di-
menti is possible.
HISTORY OF THE DEAL.
That Great Britain would ultimately
become the poSsessOr of DelagOa Bay
has long been expected. 1t has been
known for some years that negotiations
for the transfer have with more or less
secrecy been carried on between Por-
tugal and Great Britain for a transfer.
1t would not be surprising if Great
Britain under stress of present circum-
stances. acted upon the negotiations of
the last few years and pressed for the
consideration of the understanding be
tween the two countries. The present
town of Lorenzo Marquee. not infre-
Quenuy termed DelagOa Bay, dates only
from 1867. It is built on the site of an
old village named in honor of the naNi-
gator who in 1874 planted the first POr-
tuguese flags there. The harbor has
been compared with two of the finest in
the world. Rio and Sydney, and proper
ly developed. it would become the mari
time port of the whole of the basin of
the L1mpOpO river and OF the states Oc-
cupying the plateau of South Africa
Great Britain from 1920 onward dispu-
ted the claims of Portugal to the own
ershfp Of Delagoa Bay and based its
own claims on an occupation by the
Dutch OF which the revers1On fell to her
capt owens carrying out SURVEYS in
tive chiefs concerned in its shores.
The dispute was ultimately referred
10 the arbitration of the president of
the French republic, Marshal MacMahOn
whose award in 1875 was given in favor
of Portugal Britain, however did not
relinquish her aims, and she consoIed
herselt for the loss of the actual owner
ship by obtaining a right of pre-emp-
uon under the eAnglO-Portuguese agree
ment of 1891 Under this instrument
Great Britain and Portugal agreed that
In the event of one of the two powers
proposing 10 part with any of the terri
tories to the south of the ZambeSi the
other shall be recognized as possessing
a preferential right to the territories in
question. OF any portion of them" This
is held to give to Great Britain the
right OF preemption whenever Portugal
IS IN such financial straits as 10 need to
sell her rights in the bay. She was said
TO be In such difficulties last year and
only domestic political consideration
IN Lisbon then prevented her acting up
on the agreement
FRENCHMEN DOUBT IT.
Paris. Dec 2s.-The publication in the
Lokal Anzeiger of Berlin of the secret
treaty between Germany, Portugal and
Great Britain, providing for the parti-
ton OF the Portuguese colonies. meets
with no credence in official circles here.
A foreign official said to a representa-
tive of the Associated Press that their
advices from Portugal and Germany
left no doubt that the publication was
largely invention They could not be-
neVe Portugal would sign a treaty
stripping herself of her colonies and SO
&ar reaching and harmful to Portugal
Notwithstanding the denial of the
French foreign Office, it is believed in
other quarters that an agreement be-
tween Great Britain and Germany may
@GiEt outside of the understanding ar