The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-01-03
STATUS OF DBLAGOA BAY
lis CessiOn to England Said to Hinge
Upon a Claim on Portugal.
The COnfiscation I a hallway by the
Government at Lisbon Acting Tn
An Arbitration Boards Decision
on the Question Expected soon.

GENEVA y. Y, Jan. 3.-According to
the statement Of Frederick c. Penheld,
formerly United States Minister TO Egypt
and Consul General at Cairo, the cession
OF Delagoa Bay to the British which many
| believe will be the turning point of the
British war. is now hanging on his claim
for $40 ,C0O 600 against the Portuguese Gov
ernment. Mr.. Penfeld and his wife are
passing few days az the home OF Mrs.
Penfeld's daughter. Mrs. John A. Silver.
whose husband is a professor at Hobart
College.
Mrs. Penfield is the principal person in
terested in the decision OF the Swiss tri-
/ bunal in the Delagoa Bay Railway case
upOn which the execution Of the treaty
believed to exist between Great Britain.
Germany, and Portugal for the possession
Of the Portuguese territorial possessions.
is said 20 hang. Mrs PenfeId derived
! from Col. Edward McMurdO. her first nus
| band, who built the railway. an interest OF
some 100000 or $1,000 600 in the claim
against Portugal on account Of the seizure
Of the railway in 1889. Mr. PenReId. whom
she married in London. was the private
recretary OF former Gov Thomas NJ. wal
Ter. OF Connecticut
Colonel McMurdo, in 1887, undertook the
/ construction Of the Delagoa Bay Rsilload.
under concession granted by the Poi tu-
guese government in 1888, for line from
Deiagoa Bay 20 KOmatipoort a company
was formed in London BY Colonel NcNurdo
with a capital Of s., 500. 600. and the work
was pushed so rapidly that the raj way was
hnlshed in November 1883 There was
some delay in the arriyel Of rolling stock,
but on December a, 1883, the fl 81 section
Of the road ffty-two miles long. from
Loureuco Marques to Komatipcort, was
formally opened.
From jeslously Of the English the Trans
vaal Government sought 20 wreck the com
pany. and IN this. il is said, il had the
| sympathy Of the Portuguese Government.
l On the preteNt that the line has not been
completed 20 the terminus mentioned in
the concession. which WAS fifteen miles be-
| yCnd the end Of the road al that time.
/ Portugal made a threa, 20 conhscIte the
I road, and all the property Of the COM
. pany
Colonel McMurdo diei iu London i'm May.
; 1859. His death caused some confusion in
/ the affairs Of the company. and the threat
made by the Portuguese Government was
carried out in an arbitrary manner in the
( following month.
/ Vigorous protests were made by the
company, and Mr. Catherine McMurdO,
/ Colonel McMurdo's widow. asked Secretary
Blaine to intervene in her behalf Mr..
Blaine informed the Portuguese Govern
ment THAI the coniscation of the road
would not be tolerated. and this example
was followed by Lord Salisbury IN behalf
Of the English bOndholders. Upon their
| representation Portugal gave way and
agreed TO submit the case TO arbitration TO
settle the amount Of indemnity 10 be raid
10 was agreed IN 1890 that the amount OF
! indemnity should be named by the Presi-
dent Of Switzerland. Engineers reported
that the concession was worth at least SIS,
100000 and some persons placed IL rs high
as $50. COO coo.
! The arbftrators sent technical commits
sion TO South Africa 10 make an eSsmIna-
ton OF the road. This commission in
March, 1895, made a report. the chief
points of which were that the value of the
road at the time OF the seizure was $I.275.-
| 600, and the value Of the concessions al the
same time was s. 500 00O and that on De-
cember 81, 1895. the concession was worth
| 80 ,0OO, 600. In reply TO this report Portugal
| contended that the property had been
! greatly Over-valued while England and
the United States sought 10 prove that the
award should be much larger than that
granted by the commission.
The arbitrators took the various reports
under consideration. It has had them Un-
der consideration ever since. Their YER
diet has been promised repeatedly and is
/ now expected this month or next at the
| latest In Berlin il is said that the award
TO Mrs. Penield and the English claimants
will be too heavy for Portugal to pay and
that the secret treaty giving DelagOa BY
TO England and transferring the Portu-
guese Asiatic colonies 10 Germany will
take effect as soon as il is announced.