New-York tribune., 1899-03-26
THE NEWS OF TWO CAPITALS
LONDON.
GENERAL SATISFACTION OVER THE
ANGLO-FRENCH AGREEMENT.
ENGLAND HAS THE BEST PARTS OF AF-
RIGA SEVERE MARCH WEATHER.
-CAMBRIDGES VICTORY.
Tpy cARr.r TO THE TRIBUNE. !

[RY CABLE TRIBUNE
London March 2i-The general opinion OF
those best qualified to judge is that the new
Anglo French agreement Is another very salts
factory result Of Lord Salisbury's moderate and
farseeing diplomacy. Roughly speaking. the ef-
feet OF the agreement Is to draw vertical line
down the centre OF Northern Africa almost
from the Mediterranean to the Congo. East or
this line will he the British sphere; west of IT,
TIL they come to the British territories on the
Atlantic coasts and the lower Niger. the French
NAV annex az much as they please. A few ex-
trerne English JIngoes are displeased at the
enormous area Of territory which Is thus lald
open to French colonization. for the arrange
ment makes France the largest African rover
on the map: but the experts Of the BrltlSh FOR
,ign Office know very well what they are about
They recognize that. To quote the FAMOUS cpl
gram Of Lord Salisbury good deal OF 'he
French territory consists Of rather light soil
for 1t includes the great Desert OF Sahara' ihuc"
of which is absolutely uninhahtable. on the
other hand there Is quite enough popuiouS ana
fertile country In French Africa TO occupy years
in exploration ard development
Meanwhile. the British title to the Egyptian
Soudan and the whole Nile region is now un-
questioned There is this difference between the
areas appropriated to France and England un-
der the new convention: The English are III
uractical. end effective occupation Of the greater
Tart Of their sphere whereas the French nave YET
to make good their foothold in the vast regions
left TO them on the whole. the British seem 70
have secured the larger portion Of what Is best
worth having on the African Continent. both III
the north and the south.
Mr. Cecil Rhodes has returned to London after
his interviews with the German Kaiser not II
Is said In the best Of humors. Germany mas
oiven him nothing but vague promises which
are not likely to be Of much practical value Tor
wears to come Meanwhile he Is pressing the
British Government to give him hnanciai
guarantee for trans-Afrcan railway, but the
Chancellor ~ he Exchequer Is by no means
willing ~ nledge British credit for this scheme.
and II is not at all improbable that guarantee
will he refused Such a refusal will excite much
indignation in the Imperialistic press which
strongly supports Mr. Rhodes. on this point
there is some division Of opinion In the Caoihe''
for Mr. Chamberlain supports Mr. Rhodes, ana
would be prepared to make some sacrifice 10
assist the proie,1s Of the South African Ma
poleon". while the Chancellor Of the EXchequer
clings to the strictly economical view. and holds
that II Mr. Rhodes wants money ne can ge'
II from his friends or in the open market anu
that the British Treasury. in year OF eN'rdo'
dinarv naval and military expenditure ousn'
NOT n finance railway schemes in interior Al
rica.
In domestic politics the event Of the q" -.' "'S
hoo, tho second reading Of the London Govern
ment bill which was carried IN 'he h'"'' -
Cor,rons late on Friday night by a majority In
favor Of the Ministers Of Ia votes Inc p''''
which aims at dividing up the unweldy bulk OF
lltsrO
norato boronrhs was opposed by the Liberals IN
an amendment moved by Mr.. Herbert Glad
stone the youngest son Of the great statesman"
u.bo however is not gifted with any large snare
-, hts fathers magnetic eloquence. The OPP
rosition to the bill is somewhat languid. ana
is chiefly based on the fact that il leaves u"-
touched the old Corporation of the city oI Lon
don with its Lord Mayor and Aldermen. ana It's
immense property: but the debate was I'''
largely I'm the hands Of the subordinate men"
hers Of the two parties. and was cl"S'" III
ro,t,r ,,arfunctor-y speeches 10y Sir Henry camp
,au. Rarnorman and Mr. Balfour Some idea oi
the gigantic size of the British metropolis =
gained when It is remembered that uhder '"'
new bin London will De divided into ao"u'
twenty rnunicipal districts. several OF when VIII
have a larger population than su'n ''"'s ~
San Francisco and Cincinnati
II is characteristic OF the serious interest
uhich English public men take in sports and
nastines that Mr. Balfour, the First Lord VI
tho Treasury. found time to sandwich in
spnech 10 gathering Of cyclists during '"e
na,ses Of the debate on the London Government
bill Hurryine away from Westminster ne had
his dinner with the National Cyclists Inl"h'
made a witty and amusing speech to the as
serbed wheelmen. and got back TO the House
of Commons in time 10 reply 10 Sir Henry camp
beIRannerman and wind up the debate. MT
palfour has long been devoted 10 the wheel
no took up the exercise before il became a
fashionable craze. and has persevered IN II now
! that the West End has largely dropped H. i'"
don society again takes its morning cah'er III
the park on horseback Instead or us SPIN ." d
bicycle The First Lord OF the Treasury no"
ever. is still often 10 be seen wheeHLG P"''"'
along n suburban road when ohiclal du'"S XIV
him q couplo of hours leisure. lie - appar'"'N
| no lover Il the horse. and does not care 'ith''
Cor shooting or hunting; but. as eVerYp'"E
knows he is an ardent golfer. ana. as usual '"9
year he will be competitor In the farH"-
rnentarv golf match He is also int'r's''u ''
billiards and Is an occasional sp p'cta'"r al "'N
Of the great professional exhibitions "i t"'S
/ game which. 10y IN" way. ls more p"P"''' -"
rrc,and than ever before Thousands Of peo-
ple including a large contingent ~ men "l S"0'''
F influence have been watching the great "''
lard match between Roberts. the Famous 'h"'"-
plon. whom no English player has met on '''''
terms for twenty years. ard his younger rival
+ Dawson. who has had the ternerity 10 'ha"'"E'
/ him. and has been playing with Shl" anu
brilliancv that seem to Justify his audaciouS
enterprise.
o,,,n, To- the rigorous press censorship which
/ ,,ovaus I'm the cars dominions. not much mas
! hoen heard Of the Russian famine. There Is no
! doubt however that it has reached most SERIOUS
and even appalling dimensions tn" whole "i
four great provinces To the east Of the RIVER