New-York tribune., 1900-03-11


| cerned
Delagoa Bay is the natural seagate to the Trans
| vaal. and the Delagoa Bay Railway over which
| the Portuguese Government has for several wears
exercised a monopoly gives the shortest eastern
/ outlet from Pretoria to the This road was
! built by American. Colonel Edward McMurrlo
than ten years ago. and because he could not
/ complete it under impossible conditions, as de-
manded by the Portuguese Government, it was
confscated and Colonel McNurdo and his heirs as
we'll other stockholders, dispossessed Of
, their property.
Since September, 1890, three Swiss turists
who constitute arbitration tribunal have been
! holding conferences on the question This harbor
is important strategic point of connection with
| the Transvaal and it may pass into British hands
provided that Portugal Is unable to pay the award
Of the tribunal
II is than three hundred years since Vasco
da CANA discovered the bay and made a landing at
| Lourenco Marques. The Portuguese did estab-
| lish a colony. but claimed ownership by right Of
discovery. In the eighteenth century the Dutch.
| who then owned Cape Colony, established a fort
and trading station on the bay, but did not main
/ tain them long. After the Napoleonic the
! Dutch possessions in South Africa passed into the
hands Of the British They sent expedition
thither, surveyed the bay concluded treaties
with the native chiefs, who ceded their respective
] territories to Great Britain. This gave Great
Britain possession of the southern part of the bay
Shortly after in the absence Of the British COM
mander. English schooner from Cape Town
! which had entered the southern part of the bay
was seized by the Portuguese authorities at Lou
! renco Marques and condemned be sold
PORTUGUESE YIELD TO THE BRITISH.
On the return of the British commander he
showed to the Portuguese the treaties he had
| cluded. and warned them that British authority
! must be respected. The Portuguese yielded and
released the schooner.
This in 1923 and for half century there
! after ventured to dispute Great Britsin's
ownership of the southern half of Delagoa Bay.
In 1871, however, the Portuguese again seized
British ship. If the British authorities had stoutly
maintained their rights the Portuguese would prob
ably have yielded but Mr. Gladstone agreed to
submit the to arbtration without appeal.
The President of the French Republic named
sole arbitrator. Marshal MacMahon be-
President. and decided in favor of Portugal.
Great Britain acquiesced although the equity of the
decision has never been admitted.
In December. 1875, the Transvaal Republic entered
into agreemnet with Portugal for the construc-
lion Of a railroad from the bay the heart Of its
territory. BY the terms of the agreement Portu-
gal TO have the road built the Transvaal
frontier a distance of ffty-fve miles. the
Transyaal would continue 1t TO Pretoria In De;
10 an American citizen Colonel Edward McMurdo.
@ ,Jn LOT tne ~ the rapsyoad hord rom
concession granted to him for the operation OF
Portugal agreed not allow the construction of
any Other n road aid for a OF ssTeny miles lie $ on
practical MONOPOLY, Of inland trade from 9elagoa
grants of great value.
AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK
BY November. 1887. the road was completed TO the
TransvaaI frontier when. 10 the CONSERVATION of
everybody concerned. the Portuguese Government
declared that it be built some distance fur
ther on, and that Il must be thus extended and
completed within eight months from that date
After a vigorous but unavailng protest the com
pany undertook 30 meet the requirement But the
eight months included the whole Of the rainy
son of five months during which 1t impossible
do much work, and its expiration found the sup
elementary portion of the road not quite finished
Thereupon a the end June 1889. the Portuguese
revoked the concession and confscated the entire
railroad property, which II has ever since man
aged for it's own benefit
About this time Colonel McMurdo died but his