Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1906-04-13
THE EXILE.

binding restrictions. For two years
she was kept on the island of Reunion,
since the expiration of that time has
been called upon to make Algiers her
home.
The French have dealt with her
summarily and shabbily, only recent
ly have awakened to the fact that she
is worthy to be treated with some
dignity. But ere we proceed with that
matter, let us review the means by
which the French came into posses
sion of RanavalOnO's domain.
Back in the year 1912 a concession
Of the island of Madagascar was grant
ed to a trading company by the
French king, and succeeding grants
were made on the presumption that
the French had authority there; these
proved ineffective, as did DEGREES pro-
claiming French sovereignty and as
did the appointment Of viceroys.
However, French explorations along
the coast progressed and it was
claimed that portions of the coast had
been coded by local chiefs from time
to time. In 1882 active hostilities
broke out between the French and one
of the most advanced of the resident
races, the Hovas, which hostilities were
concluded in 1885, when Diego Suarez,
at the northernmost extremity OF
Madagascar, was surrendered to the
enemy. France now claimed power to
regulate foreign relations, a French
resident general was stationed at the
capital, 'Antananarivo. In 1890 Great
Britain recognized the French pro.
tectorate Of Madagascar, but the ma,
tive government made no such recog.
milton. In 1895 French expedition
enforced the claims, the queen accept.
ed the protectOrate. BY a unilateral
convention made the following year
Madagascar became a French posses
sion. In 1897 the queen was deposed,
she and certain members of her family
were removed to the island of Re.
union, a French possession east OF
Madagascar.
Ranavalono ruled over her people Il
years, a reign marked by troublous
times with France. Madagascar has
long been missionary field, and the
queen, as we'll as some hundreds of
thousands of the inhabitants of the
island, is a protesting Christian. She
is said to have been very much de-
voted to her people, to have done a
great deal for their betterment.
The government that superseded
her treated her, as we mentioned,
shabbily. Removed from a realm
about as large as that of France itself.
she was granted a paltry $4,000 year,
her liberty hampered in many ways,
kept constantly under surveillance.
After her removal to Algiers, she
asked to be allowed to visit the Won
dertul city Of Paris, expressed q wish
TO see tho expedition of 1900. This
request was not granted, but in 1901
under strict guardianship, she came to
the city concerning which she had
long. been curious. At this visit she
was housed in mean quarters, treated
with scant consideration; the papers
made her more or less butt for their
rldlcule, the authorities treated her
as if she were a naughty child.
But jealous friends arose to take
her part; some of the papers preached
the shame of her treatment. The
great Calve took her up, the exiled
queen became an object of public sym
pathy. The agitation had the effect
OF increasing her yearly allowance to
$4,000, of rousing the government
little in her behalf.
Ranavalono's pension is to be raised
! to $4,000, the increase made on tbs
funds Of Madaga scar 1t seems no
more than just.
ELLEN rIIAYEH