Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1900. A War with France.
The anxiety of the Boer war has been intensified by the fear that Prance, for purposes of her own, might seize the opportunity of our entanglement in South Africa, to declare war. Such a likelihood has been discussed for many months by the papers of both nations, some gravely asserting the possibility and probability of such a danger, whilst others have laughed the suggestion to scorn. What all papers agreed upon was, that there would be no war until the close of the Paris exhibition, but after that the doubt remained. We cannot help thinking that as far as the French can be judged, which is on no similar standing to other nations owing to their excitability and insecurity of government, that it was in the minds of the heads of the army to have urged on a war with England to hide the hideous state of corruption , existing within it, and to secure the placing of one of the many branches of French sovereigns upon the throne. This, however, would be at the time | our forces were making but little head way in South Africa. Times | have changed so materia'ly to our adI vantage since then, sufficient to entitle if needs required removing a very large portion of the troops at present at the seat of war, that such a scheme of attacking England will not look so easy or so possible as it did then, and that that danger has been removed. A foreign correspondent of the St. James Budget in one of the latest papers received, gives the opinions of French generals upon this possibility of war, which will show that the idea was not new to them. A Secretary of Embassy referring to the Fashoda business said " France may forgive Germany the powerful, but never the wound to her amour propre which she has suffered from England .... no one of importance disguises from themselves that a war of compensation is inevitable with England before the comm-
encement of the winter storms." One of the highest officials in the French army Service Corps, a General of cavalry, both spoke of its likelihood, tempted by the apparent weakness of England. A former Minister of War is also reported to have said "I unfortunately believe war with England is possible. I will not name a date — that would bo impossible — but I trust France will not, as in the " affaire Fashoda," find herself confronted with England, or England with France. If so, France is on the alert." The Cavalry General was asked, "Do you, speaking for yourself, desire to see war between the two neighbours ?" " No, never. Because I believe after France and England have exhausted themselves irk a dtiel to the death, the country that I fought against at Sedan will step into the arena as the arbiter of the world's destinies. Neither you nor I would like that, I fancy."
France has commenced a disturbance in Morocco, and owing to the mixed nature of the interests in the seaports on the coast of that country in the Mediterranean, there is every excuse for trouble when one party desires to raise it. Wim France the unexpected is what always happens.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/MH19000526.2.8
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1900, Page 2
Word count
Tapeke kupu
542Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, MAY 26, 1900. A War with France. Manawatu Herald, 26 May 1900, Page 2
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.