The Opposition do not apparently intend to make East Africa
a battle-ground. Immediately on the opening of Parliament, Lord Harrowby raised the question in the House of Lords, upon the ground that any alliance with Germany in Africa might extend the hatred of the Negro tribes from Germans to Englishmen. Lord Salisbury gave the reply dis- cussed at length elsewhere, the substance of which is that the Government have agreed with that of Germany to stop. the slave-trade and the import of arms by sea, but not to make expeditions into the interior. As a first step in their operations, they have represented to the French that slavers ought to be searched, even if they hoist French colours; and M. Goblet has not only assented to this, but has promised to send a cruiser from Madagascar to aid in the blockade. All Europe, therefore, proclaims maritime war upon the slave- stealers, whose profits are thereby docked one-half. That seems to us an excellent result of negotiation, and worth some risk to the settlements, which, however, is most improbable. The Negroes have no interest in killing Englishmen for Arab benefit, and only killed Germans when Germans oppressed them. Lord Granville, we are pleased to see, took this view, remarking that he thought the papers would prove satisfactory.
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