The Foreign Office and Mr. Molder have managed negotiations with
Portugal with some ability. Under one Treaty, referring to South Africa, the British Government, though it does not obtain Delagoa Bay, does obtain full use of that port, and aid in sup- pressing or regulating the traffic in arms. Under another, which concerns British India, all Custom lines between our posses- sions and Goa are abolished ; the Portuguese agree to accept the British Indian Tariff ; and they sell us the right to manu- facture salt for £40,000 a year, the sum paid for the same privilege in Pondicherry. We also agree to assist in every way,. except by payment, the construction of a railway from Goa to Bellary. The effect of both treaties is that we get the control of the back-door key of our South-African house, and that Goa gets a chance of becoming once more prosperous,—of course, to the advantage of British India. If the Portuguese knew their business, Goa would soon become the most valuable of all their foreign possessions.
Previous page
