Washington sentinel., 1899-07-08
our FoR EIGN NEWS S
Translated and Selected irons leading
hSr0bsGaSGbsp5IoY Eks SENTINEL.
ENGLAND.
SIR II. CAMPBELL. BANNERMAN ON THE
TRANsVAAL.

| Sir II, Campbell BanneIman, ,spea king
at a Liberal gathering at Ilford on
Saturday afternoon, said he could dis
Germ nothing in what had occurred in the
Transvaal toiustify either warlike action
OF military preparations. The desire OF
ihis country was to live harmoniousIy
wlh the Transvaal. Although the con-
ference between Sir A Milner and Pres
ident Kruger had failed, considerable
concessions had since been made, and
we should not despair of obtaining all
that was necessary by the pressure of
peaceful negotiations.
DGfEr ZsLSgTabA.-Londou. June 10.
Sir Henry Campbell Bannerman says
that there is no need Tor war. No one
with a sense Of responsibility ever sup
posed that there was 1t is one thing,
however, to confine oneself [ % those safe,
generalities which are especially dear
to politicians, like the present Leader
OF the Liberal party, sitting on a fence;
aud another thing to have TO devise a
policy and adopt an attitude such as the
interests OF Great Britain in South
Africa require. Sir Henry declares that
1t is absurd for us to want to fight on
the ground OF a refusal of a franchise,
the ultimate result OF which will be to
divest our fellow subjects OF their British
citizenship, Probably no one kno VS.
better than he does that this apparent
paradox forms the kernel of the whole
problem, and that on its solution de-
pends the maintenance of peace in the
Transvaal Republic 1t is hardly neces-
sary to say that it Is not because we
want to help Englshmen to cease to be
Englishmen that we desire a reformed
representation in the Rad but because
we claim for our fellow cOuntrymen
civic rights which are granted in almost
every other State. The point
is tha. Gieat Britain, having given the
Trausvaal its independence on the
express condition that the country
should be open to aliens mainly OF
English nationality, but also Of German
and French, is bound to see-because
she is a suzerain and a paramount
Power in South Africa-that the immi-
grants shall have elementary civic and
political privileges. Surely in matter
like this, touching the very ground work
Of commonwealth Of freemen, there
can be no reluctance on the part of
Liberals to help the Government to the
best Of their power.
Morning Adyeykser.-London, Iune 10
Sir Henry CamDbell- Bannerman
evoked hearty cheers and laughter by
his humorous way Of describing the
Uit,anders as anxious to become Beers
before the Beers are willing to take them
into their fold. And he put it to his |
audience that the British Government is
asked to engage in an unholy struggle |
with the republic because the Beers VIII i
not allow this interesting process o un-
Britishlng themselves to be performed |
by the Uitlauders with the rapitlity that l
those aspirants to the TransyaaI fran
chise desire. 1t woulo have been laIrer
to a large section OF the Uitanders to
say that, having long since settled in
the country. and having at the present
no political rights whatever, to Judge
from the treatment that they have been
lately subjected to, as set forth at length
in MIR. Chamberlain's famous despatch
ofthe 10th Of May, they are desirous OF
obtaining iulflment of the promises
embodied inl the Convention OF 1854.
They wish to become recognized
citizens OF the land which they regard
as their adopted country, and there has
been more than ample fime to complete
the formakties attendant upon their
admission so far the suggest on OF an
appeal 10 arms has emanated quite as
much, or more, from the burghers them.
selves as from any one section OF
politicians in Great Britain.
FERNANDO Po: AN ANGLO GEkMAzs
DEAL.
The Liverpool Correspo ondeut OF the
Daily ChTOHftIs says
81 have received information which
tends very materially TO prove that the
alleged sale by Spain Of the island of
Fernando Po to Germany q no idle
rumor. Whether the sale is at the
present moment an accomplished fact
am unable positively to assert But this
much l can say,thst repeated cOmmuni-
cations have resently passed not only
between the Spanish and German
Governments but also between our own
Foreign Office and that of Germany on
the subject,
AT first sight il may appear strange
that the British Government should
concern itself in the matter at ali. The
explanation is, however, simple. Ilha
Formosa. or the beautiful island, after.
wards called Fernando Po from it's
Portuguese discoverer, Fernao de Poo
(I47I), was made over to Spain BY
Portugal on Oct I4,I77s The Spaniards
occupied the island until 1897, when
they leased il to Great Britain, as its
command of the BIghts made il an
excellent base against slave ships
operating round about the Niger
swamps. and at that time the British
Government was flushed with new born
zeal in lhe suppression OF the slave trade.
An assurance was, however. given to
the Spanish Government in 1880 that
Great Britain fully recognized the right
OF Spain to the sovereignty of the island.
Three years later the British Slave Trade
Commissioners were withdrawn. The
arrangement, however. appears to have
held good until 1883, when Spain
reoccupied Fernando Po, much to the