The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1900-03-22
FRANCE IS PLEASED,
Mckinley Commended for Offering
Our Services
BETWEEN THE BOERS AND BRITISH
10 Aid in the Settlement of Their
Differences and Stop the Further
Continuance of the War.

TaFls, by Gable. - 1.-THE United
States has Shown selfish Europe an ex.
ample" said a responsible official TO
representative of. The Associated
Press, when asked what was the feel
Eng OF the French government regard
ing President McKinley's offer of his
good offices to England. I'VE felt"
continued the official in question, that
our own position with respect to Eng
land, In view of the present state of
public feeling there, was too delicate
TO admit OF our accedIing ITO Mr.. Kru-
gers appeal; and as this reluctance
appeared ITO be shared by every other
power, the action of the American gov
ernmenIt in taking the initiative came
as an agreeable surprise. That it did
not succeed does not detract from its
merit"
1'he Associated Press representative
here called THE linltenlocltor's attention.
to the complaints of a portion OF the
French press that President Mckinley
Tefrained from backing up his offer,
Which Was necessary to its SUCCESS,
some papers having openly stated that
his action was a mere election manoeu-
Yer and not intended to be successful
I'm our view,' replied the official,
THESE criticisms are utterly unjusti-
fed. President Mckinley did even
more THAN UP to the last moment was
expected over here. Only the members
of chanelleries who realized tlhe deli
cate nature OF such step, can appre-
ciate Americas effort ait it's proper
value. The French government, while
not prepared to take the initiative
would, in conjunction with Russia
readily have supported America; 'bul,
THE promptltude of Englands refusal
cut the ground from under them
The official Informant added that. al.
though there appeared to be little likli-
hood of intervention in the immediate
future, yet hopes are still entertained
| thajt AN offer of good offices from the
| powers may eventually prove accept
able
"At any rate" said he, cit is NOT ,In.
likely that it will he made If foreign
, interests are in danger by the threat
ened destruction of the rand mines"
| This question Of the destruction o
the gold mines, as predicted by Mr.
Montagu White, is regarded as IA serf
GUS matter, and as being not merel.
| possible but probable.
1t is learned that the French govern
ment has received information to th,
same effect from another source, and i
considers the descendants of tht
Dutchmen who flooded their own coun
try in order ITO repel am invader quit
capable of following this historic pre-
cedent in the case of foreign ownet
gold mines. The French press ha
taken up the matter and points ou
the enormous amount of French saw
ings sunk In tine rand gold fields. 1t i
stated THAT if the Beers carry out LheG
threat 1T will take ait east three year
ito reconstruct the surface machiner
and other plants, while immense de
struction could he wrought by dyna
mite ITO the underground working,
France OWNS a third of the shares il
the Transvaal mines; and these alarm
lst predictions have already had thei
effect on the quotations. Thus, sine
Tuesday, Robinson has dropped fror
2.10 ito 200; FerTeia from 493 to 4.6;
and GeldenIhuis from 148 to LAO.
The tension of feeling betwee
France and England certainly has u1
dergome abatement this week, fc
which the coudiliaItory article of th
London Times us largely responsible
The governments fbill proposing an
ne5ty in all criminal prosecution whic
have arisen out of the Dreyfus affa1
meets with vigorous opposition frol
the Dreyfusards ito whom amnest
,means the deprivation of means uf TX
dress. Dreyfus himself wrote protes
ing against the 'biN. The senate con
mdttee this week heard Col Picqual
and N. Zola, all of whom warmly col
demneI this measure