EUROPEAN ITEMS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1434, 20 January 1885, Page 2

EUROPEAN ITEMS.

London, January 7. General Campenon,the French Minister of War, has resigned because he declares M. Jules Ferry, the Premier, to be merely the tool of Prince Bismarck. The German company interested in land in New Guinea, New Britain, and New Ireland, are building two steamers to tiade between the various islands. Reinforcements, consisting of 13,000 French troops, are being immediately despatched to Tonqnin to facilitate its occupation. The occupation of Formosa, by the French is intended to be permanent, and a French expedition is Intended '■ to be despatched shortly to Pekin. London, January 8. M' Wra. H. Gladstone, eldest son of the Premier, and member for East Worcestershire, in addressing a meeting at Hawarden yesterday, said that his father would shortly retire from public life. The British Government have forwarded a very indignant protest to the German authorities on the Annexation* question, in which Prince Bismarck is accused of a breach of faith in having directed the annexation of a portion of New Guinea. The Foreign Office has despatched the Hon Robert Meade, one of the Assistant Under-Secretaries of the Colonial Office to Berlin, to make at- - rangements for the meeting of a Convention to adjudicate upon rival claims regarding the islands of the Pacific. Bari Derby i epudiates the idea that the British Cabinet intends to cede the island of Heligoland, in the North Sea, to Germany, in consideration of the latter re • Jinquishing all her claims to New Guinea. The attitude of New South Wales at the present juncture is most perplexing. The Colonial office and the Agents-General are confident that Germany will in the end be compelled to abandon New Guinea. Prince Bismarck declines to define the limits of German annexation in New Guinea and the Pacific until he has received particulars and reports from the commander of the German war ships at present in the Pacific. Earl Derby will forward depatebes _to the Governors of the several Australian colonies on the annexation question tomorrow (Jan. 9). General satisfaction is expressed at the determination of the British Goverment to extend tbo British Protectorate on the north-east coast of New Guinea to the Huon Gulf, the commencement of the German boundary. Jan. I*l > In the German Reichstag yesterday, during a debate arising out of the recent annexation for Germany of the Cameroon* country on the west co *st of Africa, by Dr Naohtigal, Prince B amarck made a speech, in which he threatened to abandon his "colonising policy if the question was postponed; The annexation projects of New Zealand, he said, showed the danger of delay, and Englishmen were reported to be fomenting disorders in New Guinea and among the Oameroohs. He farther deprecated allusions being made as to the possibility of war, and expressed his opinion that all annexation difficulties could be settled by’a negotiation. Jan, 12. Prince Bismarck has expressed his opinion that if the Imperial Government approves the hostility shown by the Australian Colonies to the annexation of a portion of New Guinea by Germany, it will be necessary for the latter to support the policy of the Powers opposed to'England in the Egyptian and other questions. He has also expressed bis surprise at the proposal that New Zealand should break the mutual agreement entered into not to aunex the Samoan Idauds