The Foreign Offices of Great Britain and France are under-
stood to be following up their Treaty of Arbitration by a deliberate and honest attempt to come to agreements upon all the questions which now divide, or are likely to divide, the two countries. It was stated this week that a " complete agreement" had been attained; but the difficulties in the way are too complex for a rapid procedure, and in two instances at least colonial interests are involved, and colonists are not easily contented. The " complete " settlement is therefore denied; but it seems to be true that as regards Morocco an under- standing has been reached, France getting what she desires— an acknowledgment of her superior claim to a preferential position in the Hinterland—in consideration of concessions in Egypt which, if other Powers will agree, will give Lord Cromer more right to deal with the surplus revenue he creates. Other African questions can be settled also by com- pensations—one suggestion, we see, has greatly alarmed the Belgians—and we fancy the most difficult remaining will be those of Newfoundland and the French Australian settle- ments. The former, we fancy, is reducible to a question of money; but the Australians want to rid themselves of the neighbourhood of convicts, and the French do not exactly know what to do with dangerous prisoners. Great States, however, when heartily willing for compromises, generally find roads to them.
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