Friction betivoen France and England has been a little intensified this week. First, apparently, by a little jealousy on the part of the French at the success of Lord Kitchener's Gordon: College Scheme, and then by a speech of Sir Edward Monson, our Ambasssdor.at Paris—unless indeed this speech was a calculated effect rather than a cause of friction, Soon after the news of Lord Kitchener's scheme reached Paris, M. Frangais Deloncle propounded a scheme for the establishment of a "Marchand" College at Feshoda and of a French College at Khartoum, basin, his proposal.on the ground that French an Britis rights were equal in Egypt. On the face. of "it, it was a proposal pour tire, embracing as it did a proposal for the establishment of a college in a wretched little villago.jin the midst of a stinking marsh. But Sit Edward Monson has treated the matter seriously, so it is to be presumed that M. Deloncle really had some official sanction for his proposal. Moreover, Sir Fadward, who was speaking at a meeting of the British Chamber of Commerce in Paris, dilated on the " policy of pin-pricks," and declared thateuchan "ill-considered provocation" as that proposed by M. Deloncle our policy of forbearance from taking "might well have the effect of converting, vantage of our recent victories' into' the adoption of measures which; though: they evidently find favour with no inconsiderable party in. England, are not I presume, the object at which French sentiment is aiming." Tt is not surprising that the speech has created a great outburst of indignation in France; and indeed there are a many people in this country who think that the speech, though excellent in itself, was not one which should have been delivered in Paris by our Ambassador. To-day Sir Edward has been compelled to deliver a semi-official statement to the effect that be had been misunderstood, or that he expressed himself badly and that he had no intention of interfering' with, French policy. Some people think that the speech wasdeliberate'y inspired from the Forein Office, but were—which I do not believe—the matter would be all the more grave. At the very least it would give colour to. the inference.claimed by some of the French journals—that Lord Salisbury is paving the way to a declaration of a Protectorate over Egypt, a policy.which he himself recently declared to be needlessly provocative.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.