The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-29
MORE THAN HALF TRUE.
German Story About Portuguese
Territory Mainly Correct


New York, Dec. ga dispatch to the
Tribune from London says:
The AnglO-German agreement re
mains a mystery the Bernn eIl o,,a LgRli ebed
by official denial. All we'll informed
diplomausts are convinced, however,
that Germany will enlarge her colohlaI
possessions in some quarter at the emu
of the war and will have a free hand
when she wants it in the future in ASA
Minor or elsewhere: 1t IS not cohSIu- $50
cred probable that Lord Salisbury mas
consented to the sale of Goa, Macao ana
DamaO to Germany, but the future Oh
the East African possessions OF ForIu-
gal was discussed without dOuDI at TIC
foreign office with the German ampaS-
sador a. year ago The German emperor
and Mr.. Chamberlain are known 10
have held a prolonged consultation at
Windsor a few weeks ago and by the
process of exclusion the diplomats nave
reached the conclusion on that East
Africa was the subject Wmch interested
them.
1t may be premature or unsafe to
carry out these arrangements at pres
ent, in view of Russian reprisaIs IN
Herat and of French intrigues in Moroc-
co, but the ShrewdeSt observers IN d1plo-
matte circles forecast the ultimate &C
CupatiOn of DelagOa bay by Great Brlt-
ain and the enlargement of German
East Africa southwark to the ZampeSl-
The Berlin disclosure is probably ac-
curate to that extent but has been over
loaded with fiction respecting Portuguese
possessions within the Indian sphere.
The British government IS embar-
raSSed without doubt by the Portuguese
neutrality which clOaks trading on
large scale with the TransVaal. w hlle
the British army does not have a tree
passage through Portuguese territory IN
to the Transvaal on the shortest line OF
march to Pretoria, the Beers themselves
are receiving European recruits ana
military stores through Lorenzo Marques
This back door would be closed II Dela-
goa bay We're either under British or
Boer Jurisdiction, but it remains open
under a neutrality which IS usefuI 70
, trading and double dealing II IS eN1-
IDENTIFY incOnVenient for the British gov
ernment to carry out any prearranged
scheme with Portugal and Germany.
The Berne arbitration award respecting
the DelagOa Bay railway can not be
made for three months, and that VIII pc
the basis for financial dealing with
Portugal Moreover, Loru SallsDuIS
can not be eager to challenge Russia
to seize Herat by the occupation OF
DelagOa bay.
Meanwhile the right of search at sea
is exercised and prize courts by con-
demning cargOes of breadstuffs may set
awkward precedents for England her
self, which is dependent upon imported
| food supplies in peace and in war. The
American proposal for exempting pri-
Vate property from seizure was not
adopted even by the Hague congress
and neutral rights in war time are sub
/ ject to the decision of prize courts, as
to what constitutes cOntraband OF war.
| This is the theoretical English view of
/ courts at Durham are not likely to rule
/ that food stuffs are contraband of war,
although there is a warrant for it in
! British seizure and cOnfscation of rice
/ during other periods of hOstilities.
| The war office continues to supply its
/ daily bulletin of news from the front,
/ Natal alone being excluded from its
! scope. The man in the street is spared
| the necessity of reading many columns
/ of belated and confused dispatches from
| news agencies and special correspond
| ents. He will see at glance this
| morning that en-POWeu was safe on
! December y; that neither Gatacre nor
/ French has met with any fresh adven-
| ture and that Methuen holds his ground
| at Nodder river, exchanging gun fire
! with the enemy and constantly recon-
/ nOitering with his cavalry brigade The
/ Beers have been challenging Gen
/ Methuen to renew the fighting. The
! war office bulletins are also gaining in
| variety. Today's includes reference to
| a heavy rain fall; this IS a close ap-
proach to the weather report There is
/ also something like a market report.
| Gen. Methuen has established a market
! at Modder River. where tea and other
| dry groceries are exchanged for milk
/ and vegetables.