Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1901-08-15
FRANCE IND BRITAIN
BOTH NATIONS ARE MAKING
WARLIKE PREPARATIONS
Frenchmen Think That With Bal
looms and Submarine Boats
Britain Will Be Easy Prey.

his famous speech on the political out
look in England 'the hostility of for
eign powers" is now known to have had
considerable significance. That France
will never be satisfied until she has
had it out with England over the
Fashoda incident is becoming daily
more clear While the French minis
try favors an entente cordiale with
Britain rather than war the French
people are overwhelmingly in favor OF
the latter With their successful sub
marine boats and the perfection of the
Santos Dumont airship they feel that 1t
will be an easy task TO grapplc with
their hereditary enemy.
The French government Is known to
have had an option on the patent for
this only successful dirigible balloon
in existence, and ii is said that imme-
diately after the successful performance
at the Eiffel Tower in Paris the war der
partment issued orders for large num-
Der of them to be made.
The large increase proposed for the
British navy, the weakening of the
Mediterranean squadron to strength the
home squadron. the experiments with
submarine boat destroyers. and lastly
the new asphyxiating shells, OF which
| presume you have not yet heard. all
tend to prove the unezsincss which pre-
walls in London at the present time.
When ready to strike her blow il is
likely thft France will try to throw up
on Great Britain the onus OF declaring
war, as the Beers have done, and it is
believed that she will do this before an
end can be brought to the war in South
Africa Some 81 the Partisan journals
are openly advocating such step. IL
would be easy to create another IA
shoda incident and take "A different po-
sition upon II to that taken upon the
first one This would compel decalra
ton of war against France by England.
The extreme tension existing between
the two countries at the time of the
Fashoda incident has Just been empha
sized ~ the publication in the Figaro
of conversation which took place he
tween the late ex-President NJ Felix
Faure and a friend on the subject NJ.
Faure commences with the statement
that under no circumstances could
there have been war on account of Fa-
shoda. as there was no intention on
the part OF France of permanently oc-
cupying the place" and yet before the
conversation closes, he admits that
the danger OF war was not over even
when the expedition withdrew for
there was no danger on account of the
war fever excited by the reckless Jour
nalists of both countries NJ. Fanre
insists upon the good faith of the
French government in sending the eX-
petition, which was purely a scientific
and commercial one, with no ioea OF
conquest"
We are. nevertheless reminded OF the
words of NJ Carnot in reference to the
expedition. But If we were to follow
the Nile we should be in Il better po-
sition to begin talking about Egypt"
The long stay of Marchand at Fashoda
is gracefully described by N Faure as
having been due to the attractions ot
the Nile and the fact that he had to
wait for instructions. Probably he
did. and it was upon the result Of those
instructions that he was TO act. He
stayed long enough to erect a fort. cul-
tivate a garden, and do other things
intimating a permanent stay there
Probably st. Petersburg was divided
with Paris on the question of the seiz-
ure Of an integral part of Egypt--some-
thing that would have been very differ
ent to grabbing an oasis from Morocco
in the hinterland.
As long ago as 1895 Sir Edward Gray
in the British house of commons, de-
clared that a French advance into the
Nile valley would be viewed in England
as an unfriendly act and the statement
was brought to the notice OF the French
49, h., DrIi igh ,hsag "A
Yet Marchand, backed by the French
military party Immediately commenc-
ed hurrying his expedition from the
Congo in an attempt to reach the Upper
Nile before the British troops would
suppress the uprising of the Dervishes.
M Faure declares that had Marchand
telegraphed his government for instfuc-
tions as to what TO do his government
would have promptly replied leave
your camp and return home but. con
tinues the ex-president, before we had
received any direct communication
from him Lord Kitchener had visited
Marchand and received notice that he
took orders only from his own govern
ment He received no satisfaction from
Narchand even when he informed the
captain that Fashoda was Egyptian ter
rltOTy. DOTU hllfHtUtr tUsn piDIUptiS
hoisted the British and Egyptian flags
placed Soudanese garrison there and
left the question TO be settled by the
two governments" NJ Faure explains
that the situation never reached the
point of an ultimatIm, and insists that
France made no concession in ordering
Marchand to continue his journey I'M
der the conditions which preyailod be-
fore the sirdar interfered VI Faure
concludes with an expression Of salts
faction that tho crisis happily passed
over and the calamity Of war over such
a petty circumstance was avoided.
No Frenchman seems TO be satisfied
with the explanation or the results OF
the incident. which has BEEN unpleas-
antiy and perhaps. inopportuneiy re-
vyed at the present moment by the
publication Of its inside story
Outside Of the elahon felt by the
French over the possession OF tie fir-t
successful dirigible airship they point
TO success of their submarine boat. Gus
taye Zede, which recently succeeded 10
attaching q dummy torpedo. under wa
ter TO the the hull OF the ship Jaurecui-
"a