Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1898.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2105, 19 May 1898, Page 2

Te Aroha AND Ohinemuri News THURSDAY, MAY 19, 1898.

The hop® that the result of the French general election, which took place last month, would satisfy the Government of , England’s ancient rival, that the people of France did not support a policy in Africa, brutally frank in its antagonism to Great Britain was shattered fch® intelligence we have recently received. The result of the election has been to strengthen the bands of the party clamouring for a forward colonial movement in ‘the darkest continent.’ As fpr the negotiations which we always understood taking place they must have been abruptly broken off to permit of Lord Salisbury and Mr Chamberlain speaking but as they, did the other day. The whole story of the present situation in Europe as far ap England and France are concerned in Africa turns upon the occupation Of Busa, a miserable collection of mud-huts in, the tlnterlapd aot Coast. It is within the sphere of British influence, however, and its possession affects, more or less indirectly, our trade in the Niger Valley, which we have, for some time, been at such - pains to build up and protect. If the venturesome Frenchmen who have taken up their quarters there do not remove their belongings over -the border and haul down the tricolor flag a detachment of British troops will be told off to reject them. After that, the deluge. Lord Salis bury has exhausted the resources of civilisation, in diplomatic parlance, to effect such a desirable evacuation. Mr Chamberlain is ready to face what he is prepared to believe is the in evitable, with characteristic coolness. ‘You want war then, do you?’ we can imagine' him asking M. Hauotaux, ' You shall have it,’ So the situation stands to-day. Lord Salisbury has the whole of England »t his back, and, we can hardly be wrong in presuming, the whole of the colonies. Now the idea at one time was that it was our duty to fight everybody, and to take everything. But we are beginning to recognise that however strong a man or a nation may be there is a point beyond which his strength will not go. If we are to fight, and it looks as if we had to, we must strike hard —p paralyse both France and

Russia, fbr there is evidently an understanding between them—by the force, swiftness and fierceness of our attack. 'England’s ‘splendid isolation’ would doubtless serve to fend off any attack and maintain her supplies, but to inspire dread, fire and sword must be carried into the enemy s country, To do this England must have staunch allies, and in the United States, and we write it, not without i reluctance,' in Germany she will, we trust, find them. -With Frederick William ‘ Unser Frits,’ on the throne of the Hohenzollerns, no alliance would have been more welcome; but we mistrust the young Emperor in spite of hi&.forty years. He has his good points—no. man in Europe lives a cleaner Jife—but, with all his splendid abilities, there is a dark, side to his character which we cannot penetrate. Since the above was written a reassuring note has been published by Reuter’s agency, under the authority of the 'French Government, respecting the pronress p£ the concerning the West; African ; dispute which'ds satisfactory as an ‘ indication that they desire t© avoid a rupture with ’ England, but its vagueness leaves the whole crux of the question where it was. So long as they insist

upon, the retention of Busa, the danger 1 of war will continue ; indeed, war will become inevitable. • Tn dealing with a Republic in which there are sb> many masters it is difficult to get. at the mind of the country—-Paris, which after all, has the greatest say in the matter, we feel assured is ■ in favor of its great Exhibition, which is to mark the opiSjiing of the century so near at hand. '