New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-03-18
TIE AMERICAN OFFER CORRECT.
SENTIMENT IN FRANCE ON THE QUESTION
OF MEDIATION

Paris, March 17.-'The United States has
shown selfish Europe an example, said
sponsible official when asked what was the feel
ing. of the French Government regarding Pres-
dent McKinley's offer Of his good offices to Eng
land I'VE felt" continued the official in ques-
tion that our position with respect to
England, in view of the present state of public
feeling there, too delicate to admit of our
aeceding Mr.. Kruger's appeal; and. as this
reluctance appeared to be shared by every other
Power the action of the American Government
in taking the initiative came an agreeable
surprise. That it did not succeed does not de-
tract from it's merits
Attention called to the complaints OF a
portion of the French press that President Nc
Kiney refrained from backing up his offer.
which was necessary to its success, some papers
having openly stated that his action was a mere
election maneuvre and not intended to be sue
cessful.
I'm our view," replied the official, these criti
cisms are utterly unjustifled President McKin-
ley did even more than up to the last moment
was expected over here. Only the members OF
Chancellories who realized the delicate nature
Of such step. can appreciate Americas enort
at it's proper value. The French Government,
while not prepared to take the initiative. would.
in conjunction with Russia. readily have sup"
ported America but the prornptitude of Eng
The informant added that. although there ap-
peared to be little likelihood Of intervention in
the Immediate future, yet hopes are still enter
tanned that an offer of good offices from the
Powers may eventually prove acceptable
"At any rate" said he, lit is not unlikely that
It will be made. if foreign interests are in dan
ger by the threatened destruction of the Rand
Mines
This question of the destruction of the gold
ntay ia fc
garded as a serious matter here, and as being
not merely possible but probable. The French
Government has received information to the
same effect from another source, and 1t con-
siders the descendants of the Dutchmen who
flooded their country in order to repel an
invader quite capable of following this historic
precedent in the case Of foreign owned gold
mines The French press has taken up the
matter and points out the enormous amount Of
French savings sunk in the Rand gold fields
1t is stated that If the Beers carry out their
threat 1t will take at least three years to re-
construct the surface machinery and other
plant, while immense destruction could be
wrought by dynamiting the underground work
ings. France owns a third Of the shares in the
TransvaaI mines and these aIarnlist predictions
| have already had their effect on the quotations
! of the stocks of those mines in which French
| holdings larger. Thus, since Tuesday ROD
/ nson has dropped from 2l0 to 200 Ferreira from
1913 to 465 and Geldenhuis from las to 40
| the Senate Thursday gave M Deicasse, the
| Minister of Foreign Affairs. opportunity to
| emphasize the fact that the Franco Russian al
! lance is as close as it and that unity
! OF action prevails between the tive Powers. His
! allusion TO Russia was prompted by report
! that Count Muravieff the Russian Foreign Min
lister. during his visit to Paris. suggested inter-
vention, bat the French Government held back
| NJ. Delcasses statement shows that no such
| proposition ever made.
/ The tension of feeling between France and
| England certainly has undergone abatement this
week for which the conciliatory article of THE
| London Times is largely responsible.