Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/82

 74] ENGLISH HISTOEY. [march

the east and north of Lake Chad, north of the fifteenth degree. Great Britain recognised that the French sphere extended south of the Tropic of Cancer as far as the western limit of the Libyan Desert. From the Nile to Lake Chad, and between the fifth and fifteenth parallels, the two Powers mutually conceded equal treatment in commercial matters; and thus France would obtain commercial establishments on the Nile. Finally, the two Powers mutually undertook to refrain from exercising political or territorial rights outside the frontiers fixed by the convention.

This arrangement, by which an enormous tract of territory was apportioned to themselves by two foreign Powers, wholly without reference to the wishes of the natives, was received with favour both in Paris and London. It was, however, looked upon with very different eyes in Constantinople, where the ignoring of the Sultan's suzerainty aroused the belief that the downfall of Mahomedan rule was desired alike by Great Britain and France. Italy also was aroused to angry protest at the implied suggestion conveyed by the treaty, that the former Power would do nothing to support Italian pretensions to Tripoli and its hinterland.

Mr. Cecil Khodes had come to Europe on a short visit with the especial view of improving the prospects of the settlers in Bhodesia, and of cheering the shareholders in the company which had done so much to develop the country. He was still convinced that the Cape to Cairo Bailway was to be the means by which success was to be ensured to the settlers, and his object was to persuade the British Government to give a guarantee for a portion of the interest on the capital raised to build the railroad and to complete the telegraph. His negotiations with the British Colonial Office were not wholly successful, and he was- forced to fall back upon the shareholders of the Chartered Company for means to carry out his schemes. As a very con- siderable saving of time and expense could be effected by traversing a part of the country recognised to be within the German sphere of influence, Mr. Bhodes betook himself to Berlin, where he was most courteously received by the Emperor and his ministers, and at length questions in Parliament obliged the latter to make some statement which would satisfy public curiosity in the state of the proceedings. In reply to various questions, Herr von Bulow said that as regarded the laying of telegraphs through the East African Protectorate, an agreement had been made with the Trans- African Telegraph Company by which German interests and rights of supremacy had been safe- guarded in every respect. The company had received per- mission to construct the line in question at its own cost through German territory, and it must be completed within five years. It bound itself to erect at its own cost, apart from the through- wires required for its own purposes, another separate wire to oe used for the telegraph traffic of German East Africa, and to be