Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1900-02-06

freight of big trading steamer in order
to ascertain whether guns and war ma
tcrial are secretcd ut the bottom Of the
hold. while in the same way there is no
means Of discovering whether there is
any Truth in the essentially pacific and
commercial pretexts wh, the large
number Of military looking passengers
give as the object Of their journey to
South Africa.
At the outset Of the war Portuguese
sympathies were with the English. and
for some weeks before hostilities actually
were begun the Portuguese authorities
even went so far in their demonstrations
Of COED will toward Great Britain as to
stop the conveyance Of great guns and
war material Of every kind destined for
the Beers via Delayoa Bay. Their friend
ly intentions. however, were frustrated
by the prime minister of the English
Cape Colony. who. ut the time when the
Eoer importation of war supplies was
being stopped at Delagoa Bay. permitted
President Kruger to bring in all the
heavy ordnance, ammunition. etc, that
he wanted by way of Cape Town-that
is to say, over British territory.
This naturally served to discourage the
Portuguese, and the heavy rcverses which
England has sustained since the begin
ming of the war have tended still rurther
to diminish their eagerness to favor the
British at the expense Of the Transvaal.
The latter's frontier is but 40 miles from
Deagoa Bay. which, moreover, is con-
nected by line Of railroad with the Boer
capital. Pretoria. less than 300 miles.
away. There is nothing whatever to pre-
vent the Beers from taking advantage of
the railroad to sweep down from their
border line at Komati POort upon IT,"
renco Marques, twoscore miles away. AMI
to seize Delagoa Bay by means of q
coup de main" The Portuguese gov
eminent gives this danger as an excuse
for permitting at present the unrestricted
Bocr importation of war supplies and of
rc-cnforcemcnts via Delagoa Bay. From
very early times the Portuguese have
claimed the bay and the coast to the north
as far as Mozambique. In the latter part
Of the seventeenth century they built fuc-
tories along the shores.
The advent of railroads into South AZ.
RIGA put new light on the occupation Of
Delagoa Bay. The Portuguese. however.
newer relinQuished their hold on the east
roast as far south as the bay.
In 1883 tho railroad from the bay to the
lIiuSNHll lFi)ntttI WAS COlHuIe(eu. UuI
the next year was seized by the POrtu-
yursc government. Tho case was refer
rcd to 81 commission Of four Swiss judges
as arbitrators, and. while reports have
been made. thr final award is still being
expected. and a connection is inferred
between til, coming award and the TO
cent alleged secret treaty. which. it is
now commended. has been drawn to ena.
BILE Portugal to lease certain of her pos
sessions in Africa in order tn tide over
finances.
In 1894 the railroad was continued
through Transvaal territory TO the capi-
tai. Pretoria. thus reducing tho distance
from tho coast iron, 400 to 400 miles.
Dciagoa Bay is 300 miles from Durham.
930 miles from Cape Town and 1000
miles from Zanzibar. all British posses
SionS.
1t is now easy to understand England's
desire "a years ago that no third party
should obtain ny purchase "r otherwise
possession of Dr!agna Bay.