negotiations are proceeding slowly at Paris between the French and English Commissioners. There is no reason to doubt that s peaceful solution of the questions in dispute will be arrived at; but there are evidences that France is still holding back in the hope that England will, for the sake of a quiet li concussions of territory which is clearly within her sphere of influence. It is, however, a colonial question, and as such in the purview of Mr. Joseph Chamberlain, who is especially determined that there shall be no ground for a repetition of the charges of pliability brought against the Government in respect of Siam and Madagascar. Mr. Chamberlain has, I happen to know on the highest authority, been very much annoyed with the Standard for the line which it has adopted on this subject. The Standard has been constantly urging that there must of course be no risk of war over s question of disputed territory in West Africa—thac it would be a crime to go to warori sucha subject. Now the Standard is regarded in Paris as the es-sial organ of Lord Salisbury, and Mr.
berlain complains that France has been encouraged by these articles to resist British claims which she would otherwise be di to allow, and thus the progress of the negotiations has been checked. To provoke a war over these West African territories would no doubt be a crime; but the criminal would be the nation which prevented a peaceful settle-iment by insisting on more than ite due. England wants nothing more than her due, and Mr. Chamberlain is determined that she shall not take less,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.