The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, APRIL 19, 1902. TROUBLE IN WEST AFRICA.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 394, 19 April 1902, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, APRIL 19, 1902. TROUBLE IN WEST AFRICA.

Recent cablegrams referred to the situation in West Africa. By the mail there comes through a London journal news of considerable gravity from West Africa, involving, it may be, another period of tension between England and France, such as, not to mention Fashoda, existed in 1807 regarding the control of the Lower Niger At that time French and Britisli posts were in several instances established in the same towns, and it was only by the exercise of great firmness, as well as forbearance by the British officials, that an armed conflict was avoided. The situation to-day on the northern and western frontiers of Nigeria is equally unsatisfactory. Violations of northern frontier by French columns have been frequent, and necessarily detrimental to British prestige among the native rulers and peoples. These incursions have been justified by the French authorities on the spot on the ground that no practicable route to Lake Chad from . the West exists through French territory, which in .this district is nothing else than the southern fringe of the Sahara. If these incursions stood alone, the matter would lie capable of fairly satisfactory adjustment. Unfortunately Uiey do not. On tlie western shore of Lake Chad is situate the Mahommedan Stele of Bornu. 'Phis, by international agreement with France and Germany, falls within the British dominions. Yet in despite of such agreements, French columns have entered Bornu, and have slain Fadel Allah, a chieftain whom tiie high commissioner, General Lugard was on the point of recognising as emir of the country. The gravity of such action is obvious. Moreover, it must be borne in mind that the importance of Bornu in the commercial development of our West African possessions can hardly be overstated. From jts .capital, Kuku, start many of the great caravan routes which travel se the Sahara ; thence come gum, rubber, ostrich feathers, nuts and other tropical produce. Without Bornu our position in Nigeria would be gravely imperilled, and we should never be able to develop it into the second India which under proper conditions it

would become, and that in course of a single generation. Without Bornu we should have, to give up the scheme, so brilliantly foreshadowed by Sjr William Macgregor, of not stopping the career of the iron horse—now well on its way from Lagos to Niger—“until it drinks the waters of Lake Chad.’’ lii short, Bornu must be regarded as an integral part pf British Nigeria. It is necessary to say this'because the French colonial party are busily engaged in endeavouring to show that Bornu, “by a rectification of the Niger convention,” and for some slight compensation elsewhere, should be handed over to France ; and they have even jidvanced as an argument in favour of the,if contention the fact that the French columns have penetrated into British territory—a proceeding they justify on the ground that in “chastising” the natives they are acting as file policemen of Europe ! This article reveals at once,the strength and weakness of our position. Legally we have an unassailable title, and have had these ten years past ; in practice we have done nothing to make effective our sovereignly, and have been unable to prevent either the late sultan, Rabah, from m aking Bornu the base of operations against the French, or the I'Tencj! in their turn from waging war on'a chieftain who Jiad placed himself unreservedly under British protection. It is neither useful nor dignified to complain about French aggression whilst allowing the richest native state under our (nominal) control to remain in a state of anarchy. The fcin’e has come when this period of tinmasterly inactivity should end, and effective steps he "taken not only to guard our frontiers but to secure peace and good government to the sorely tried Bornuesc.

Fortunately the high commissioner lias recently returned to Nigeria intent tin ripvoting his chief mergies to the solution of this very question. It was largely to General lytigard’.s dispositions . that we owed the pacific solution of tiie Niger controversy, and lie may be trusted to do nothing to unnecessarily ruffle French susceptibilities. Hp pn.sses.ses the complete confidence of the colonial office, and is assured beforehand of the support of the secretary of slate in aiiy action h,e may deem essential. What is needed however, is a clear intimation to France that the policy of “pin-pricks” inWcst Africa must cease. The colonial ministry in'Paris is naturally loth to disavow the action of its subordinates, especially remembering what success lias attended in former years the unauthorised expeditions of French officers hub we do not believe that there is any wish at the Quai d’Orsay to provoke a conflict with England over West Africa.