Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-07-07

parts and her military posts dot the
map. But her control is as yet only
nominal. She rules where her troops
are. The great caravan routes are still
at the mercy of the wandering Arab,
and until he has been conquered in the
Sahara as he has been in upper Egypt
and eastern Soudan French dominion
will be but name.
What lends special interest to the re-
cent agreement on the part of France to
give italy free hand in Tripoi is the
situation as it now exists. Tripoli stiIl
acknowledges Turkey as its suzerain pow
er, but in all discussions between Italy
and France concerning this territory.
Turkey has been ignored. The sultan,
however, has been despatching large
bodies of troops to Tripoli, which are i'm
mediately sent into the interior, presum-
ably to protect the great trade routes
which run from Central Africa to Fezzan
and Ben-Ghazi There is doubt if the
sultan is acting in good faith. A French
expedition has been fighting its way north
from the French Congo to Wadai an inn
portant Arab state in Central Africa the
base of great trade. The original hope
of the French was to establish a trade
route from Wadai directly to the Atlantic
using for part of it the lower section Of
the Congo river. The physical conforma-
ton of the country, however, is such that
although the route would be much short
er than that which extends north through
the desert, the latter is by far the easier
and more practicable. 1t is therefore nee
essary for France if she is to make use
of her territories in this part of the con-
tinent to secure the trade routes. and to do
this she will be compelled to subdue the
Senussi thoroughly as Kitchener did
the Mahdists in the east. Battles have
already been fought in and about Wadai,
and although the French have been vic
toriouS it has been demonstrated that
their forces are much too weak to accom-
plish much of permanent value, and even
now the art of diplomacy instead of the
science of war is being employed to- win
over the sultan of Wadai so as to estab-
lish a protectorate or even to annex that
country.
In the meantime conditions are similar
to those in upper Egypt between the fall
of Khartoum under Gordon and its re-
conquest by Kitchener. Central Africa Is
isolated. Between it and the Mediterra-
mean states are great hordes of Senussi
ready to begin a holy war against the
French, and beyond the Senussi are large
bodies of Turkish troops whose mission Is
a mystery. The attitude of Turkey is
really the cruX of the situation. If Alb
rul Hamid is sincere in his protestations
that he wishes only to protect his Hinter-
lands against the Arabs, the problem be-
fore the French. while a serious one, pre-
sents no insurmountable difficulties. But
those that are supposed to know believe
that the sultan, fearful of what the fu-
ture may hold tor him in rripoli his sole
remaining possession in Northern Africa,
will be only too glad TO help the Arabs
Of the deserts in their fight against the
French if he can do it without compro-
missing himself too seriously, a. a thins
tainty that all this vast territory with
its great and valuable trade will be
opened ultimately to the world IS beyond
question. but before France attains her
end there will be much hard fighting.
great expenditures Of men and treasure,
and possibly, should Turkey-a power not
to be despsed-come to the aid Of her CO.
reigionists in order to protect her own
interests, the conquest of the Sahara
may be but a prelude to more serious
diS1IIrha noes in Erurnne