"Faits Divers" / "Miscellany"
General commerce of France:
During the first seven months of 1890, French commerce increased to 2,645,321,000 francs for imports and to 2,108,763,000 francs for exports. These figures, compared to those of the same period from 1889, present a growth of 112,546,000 fr. for imports and of 73,448,000 fr. for exports.Anglo-French Treaty:
An Anglo-French accord, on the subject of Africa, has been signed. It recognizes the French protectorate over Madagascar and the extension of French influence on some thousand kilometres of the regions of Niger and Chad.England obtained the establishment of a protectorate over the sultanate of Zanzibar. The Revue Bleu is not far from thinking that this treaty is little more than a recognition of the facts. "Everything will depend," it said, "on the goodwill that will make the British subjects honour the signature of their prime minister." It goes without saying that what is happening in Newfoundland shows the indifference with which certain English colonies treat the conventions signed by their ministers in the metropole.
Delegated Commissioners in Africa:
Following upon the Anglo-French treaty, commissioners charged with the demarcation of West Africa have been named. These are Messrs. Hanotau, the assistant director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Haussmann, cabinet chief of the undersecretary of State for the Colonies.Reform of Secondary Education in France:
The distribution of the prizes of the Concours Général, Mr. Bourgeois, the Minister of Public Instruction, announced his intention to organize, very shortly, the modern humanities education. We know that this question has already been subject to lively and interesting debates in the Senate.Subscriptions to the La Fraternité foundation:
We will publish in our next issue the list of our subscribers and of those who, by a free gift, helped benefit the work in an even more effective manner.—Subscribers who have not yet received the paper would do well to let us know and send us their address.To industrialists and merchants.—Sirs, industrialists, merchants, manufacturers, etc., who have interests in Haiti or who would like to enter into business with our country, can contact us with any announcements and publicity. We will work with them amicably.
The Conquering Heroes of Today:
Regarding the statue of Admiral Courbet, the Liberté Coloniale, having praised the qualities and virtues of this intrepid sailor, signals in a very reasonable way the habit in Europe of excessively magnifying the victories won over weak peoples. "To this account," the paper said, "the marine officers who, a few days ago, lobbed a few bullets over the Kotonou line in the Dahomey territory, will also be great men!" And it invokes the statement of the celebrated admiral Dumont d'Urville, who assessed, in the follow terms, the Battle of Navarin and the taking of Algiers: "The Algiers affair is not a big deal; it was not a feat of arms; there was no real battle. The only danger, for the navy, consisted in landing; from the moment the Turks and Arabs were no longer in opposition, what was left for the navy to do? As for Navarin, what credit is it to fleets of the three greatest maritime powers in Europe to have smashed the fleet of a half-savage nation, whose leaders hadn't the merest idea of naval tactics, and whose sailors were not even capable of setting up a battery. To honour such facts in the lives of a Duquesne, a Dugay-Trouin or a Tourville is disdainful. It is unfortunate for a nation to see exalted, as we have done, such ordinary things; it only takes away from the great things."It would take, perhaps, a Dumont d'Urville today to make such reasonable language heard.
The Disarmament of Europe:
The interest in Wilhelm II's recent trip to Russia consists less in the interview between these two emperors than in that of their respective chancellors.It seems that, among the questions approached in the conversation of General de Caprivi and Mr. de Giers, that of general disarmament was not able to bring about any agreement between the two diplomats.
"The question of disarmament is nothing but a chimera," said the Soleil. "To achieve this good dream, renewed by Abbé de Saint-Pierre, there would need to be resolution to the Bulgarian question, to the question of Alsace-Lorraine, the Romanian questions, that of Trieste and of Trentin, as well as twenty other questions of which any one could set fire to Europe."
And according to the same paper, Mr. de Giers should have replied: "Germany can disarm if it considers its position to be so strong. This would set a good example and be a curious humanitarian experiment. But Russia, if you please, would not follow suit."
Obituary
Death of Mr. Baudeuf, former secretary of the Haitian legation.Of Mrs. Chéry Hippolyte, the daughter-in-law of the president of the Republic of Haiti. La Fraternité addresses its condolences to the two families.