The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-18
Kruger's Appeal Passed Over I'm
needed Owing TO Public Feeling.
ALARMlsT PREDICTIONS MADE
Tension OF Feeling Between the Conti-
mental Republic and England Has
Undergone Abatement-Drey- =
fusards Bitterly Opposed to
Governments PROPOSE
tion for Amnesty.

Copyright 1900, by the Associated Press.
PARIS, March 1.-THE United States
has shown selfish Europe an example,
said a responsible official to representa-
tive of the Associated Press when asked
what was the feeling of the French gov
ernment regarding President Mckinleys S
offer Of his good Offices to England. We
felt" continued the official in question,
that our own position with respect to
England, in view of the present state OF
public feeling there. was too delicate to
admit Of our acceding to Mr.. Kruger S
appeal: and. as this reluctance appeared
to be shared by every other lower. the
action of the American government in
taking the initiative came as an agreeable
surprise. That it did not succeed does not
dctract from its merit.
The correspondent here called the Off
ciaTs attention 10 complaints of portion
Of the Freack press that President Nc
kinlcy refrained from backing up his
offer, which was necessary to its success.
some papers having only stated that his
action was q mere election manOuvre and
not intended to be successful.
CRITISICM 5UNJUSTIFItgD.
.'In our view" replied the official, "these
criticisms are utterly unjustified. Presi-
dent Mckinley did even mere than uD 70
the last moment was expected over mere.
Only the members Of chanceilories, who
realized the delicate nature of such
step. can :.ppreyiate Americas effort at
its proper value. The French government
while not prepared to take the initiative,
would. in conjunction with Russia, 'readliy
have supported America, but the pro!nptl-
tude of England's refusal cut the ground
from under them.
The official informant added tnat al
though there appeared to little
hood of Intervention in the 1mmeaiale
future, yet hopes are still entertaiiieu p'l
+bot y rood offer of good offices from
nowers NAV eventually prove acceptable.
MAY YET INTERVENE.
.a+ any rate said he, sit is not IN
1i,,elv that it will be made if foreign IN,
forests are endangered by the .hret1'eHeu
destruction of the Rand mines.
This question of the destruction or t'e
=,ro,d mines as predicted by Mr.. MontaSue
White. is regarded as serious ha..ei
here. and as being not merely Possip.e'
hit probable. 1t is learned 1nal 'ie
French Government has received lnlofina-
ton of the same effect from anothei
source, and it considers the desceiioai'.'
of fine Dutchnlen who flooded their own
country in order to repel an invader, quite
capable of following this historic pfece-
dent in the case Of foregn-owned soiu
mines.
FRENCH PRESS. ALARM1STs
The French press has taken UP the mat
ter. and points out the enormous amount
of French savings sunk in the Rand gold
fields. It is stated that if the Beers carry
out their threat it will take at least three
wears to reconstruct the surface machin-
cry, and other plants, while immediate de-
struction could be wrought by dynamiting
the underground works. France owns
third of the shares in the Transvaal
mines: and these alarmist predictions
have already had their effect on the quota
tons. Thus, since Tuesday. Robinson has
droy,ped from 21o to 200: Ferreira from
1893 to 465, and Geldenhuis from 14S to 140.
The tension of feeling between France
and England certainly has undergone
abatement this week, for which the con-
ciliatory article of the London Times is
largely responsible.
DREYFUSARDS PROTEST
The governments bill proposing amnesty
in all criminal prosecutions which have
arisen out of the Dreyfus affair meets
with vigorous opposition from the Drey-.
fusards. to whom amnesty means de-
prival of means OF redress. Dreyfus him.
self wrote. protesting against the bill.
The Senate committee this week heard
Colonel Picquart and N. Zola both of
whom warmly condemned ali this meas