The reception of the African agreement in Europe has been
decidedly favourable. The Russians do not care, their glances being fixed on Asia; the Germane see their way, we fancy, to some sort of compensation, and are delighted that France should waste her strength ; and while those in France who understand the question exalt in the magnitude of their India—which is really very big indeed—the ordinary French- man heaves a deep sigh of relief. He wants to fight by land, not by sea. Only the Anglophobes are discontented, and they find nothing to say except that Major Marchand is thrown over, and that the English have given away what they do not possess. The last criticism is quite true, but- then Europe has been doing that in Africa for twenty years, and is going to do it in China. If Europe and America have not & general suzerainty over the world, all their proceedings of late constitute a huge dacoity. But then they affirm, and when necessary enforce, that very suzerainty.
