The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-01-08
LION SCOWLING ON FRANCE.
MADAGASCAR AND EGYPT ARE THE
LATEST IRRITANTs.


Now Is the Hest Time For It-BrIt-
aims Tenure of Egypt Looked On
as Permnnent-Tbe Cape 10 Cairo
RnilrOad.
Copyright. 1899. by the Associated Press)
London, Jan. AL events seem to work
together in European politics to increase
che tension between Great Britain and
France. The past week has brought Mad
agascar and Egypt forward as irritants.
just when the mutual irritablity was sub
siding.
Even the most conservative observers be-
gin 10 take pessimistic view Of the rela.
tons between the two Powers. This In
cludes those who up to the present have
considered the belligerency to be mera
talk, due to the supersensitiveness upon
the part OF France and to unnecessary
gruffness on the part Of Great Britain in
insisting upon what she considers to be-
her rights.
On one side, France seems to foster the
growing belief that Great Britain Is de-
termined, under some pretext or other. to
force her into war and Is willing TO make
pretext, If no plausible excuse arises.
on the other side large party OF the
British public profess that their patience
has been strained beyond endurance by
what they deem TO be the unvarnished
dishonesty of French diplomacy.
The past twenty-four hours brought the
publication of the Madagascar blue book
which was followed by~a leading editorial
in the Times denouncing France in LAM
guage so fiery for that conservative news
paper, that Frenchmen are reading the
two together and are constituting them as
parts of a deliberate policy inspired by
one mind. That mind in the theory of the
man in the street. Is Mr. Joseph Chamber
lain, the secretary Of state for the colo
MES.
Voice of the Government.
other papers may storm and scold and
are not noticed, but when the Times be-
| comes abusive foreigners interpret II as
| being the voice of the government In the
| present instance some Englishmen viii
| place the same construction upon it's Ut
| terances, recalling how the Times led the
| 'No surrender cry over the Fashoda in
cident, undep evident inspiration.
One fact is certain, public opinion In
! Great Britain Will not sanction the gov
| ernment to swerVe an inch to avoid war
| with France, thinking that If IL must
! come, this is the best time to have It out.
| Many people give Importance to The Is
| sue of the Madagascar blue book almost
| simultaneously with the quiet, but un-
| mistakable pronouncement at Khartoum,
| by which the British agent there, Viscount
! Cromer IN his remarks to the shiehks, an
nounced that Great Britain has set her
seal upon Egypt. II there ever was a
doubt in the minds Of her European rivals
| that Great Britain intended to foreclose
| the mortgage TO secure which, she has
expended so much labor and blood, 1t must
have been set at rest by the utterances OF
| Lord Cromer in which the word "protec-
| torate" was written in large letters,
| though the governments mouthpiece care
| fully abstained from using that incendiary
word more definite notice that Great
| Brtaln's tenure of Egypt could not be
| asked This formal assumption OF SOW
ereignty over the Soudan is more dis
| tasteful TO France than to any other ma
ton, and renewed protests may be ex-
pected.
Mr.. Rhoies' Big Railroad.
In the meantime another enterprise OF
| the utmost moment in the furtherance of
| Great Britain's domination In Africa is
about to be consummated. Mr.. Cecil
| Rhodes, the former premier Of Cape Colo
| ny, alleged nstigator of the Jameson raid
lea" is going to England to arrange for
pushing forward the Cape 10 Cairo Rail-
road, so long the dearest dream of the im-
| perlalsts.
definite proposition will be presented
by Mr.. Rhodes 10 London capitalists for
an extension of the railroad from Bula-
wayo to Lake Tanganyika. He does not
pretend It will be paying investment from
the start It's Importance for some years
win be political instead of commercial.
and he hopes to persuade the British gov-
ernment 10 smooth the way by guaran-
teering three and a half per cent Interest
on the bonds to cover the cost of construc-
ton.
But one barrier stands in the way, in
the form Of the Congo convention, guaran-
teeng the neutrality of that part of the
| continent about Lake Tanganyika, which
even the autocrat of Rhodesia win find
hard to force. Here Germany has the veto
on Great Britain's advance, which she
cannot be expected to waive without a
heavy indemnity.
Liberals Lack n Leader.
The Liberals present the melancholv
spectacle of party without leaders, with
out politics, and worst Of all without
cash. IL they could agree upon a policy.
the best man closely Identified with il
would naturally be chosen to lead them.
ana money to carry on this policy would
be forthcoming from It's enthusiasts. As
II Is, they are compelled TO hang out the
sign, ITO let" pending the meeting Of
Parliament.
CurzOn's First BIunder.
Tho glamor of receptions and oratory
with which Lord Curzon of Kedleston
sweeps into the throne Of viceroy of India
quite obscures the merits of the modest
peer, the Earl of Elgin, who takes his
leave. Yet, already the newspaper grum-
blers are contrasting the retiring viceroy's
silent, business-like administration with
the speech-making entry of his younger
successor.
The latter has already achieved one Of
those tactless biunders which the critics
feared his self-suhic5 ency would rush him
into. He has snubbed a committee of the
most respectable residents desiring to pre-
sent him with a scheme for the higher cd
ucation of Indians on the lines of JOINS
Hopkins University which a native.
JamsetU Tata, proposes 10 do with 1880 600