Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6566, 2 December 1882, Page 4

'»» 1 According to 0110 of our cable messages this morning, the British (rovernmenthave du3patohedaguabo.lt to to protect British interests there, and to inquire into the French demands. The policy of this step will bo generally admitted. Recent events have shown plainly enough that France ha 3 designs upon Madagascar, and that she is paving the way for playing there the part 111 which siie was so successful in Tunis. For more than a year past her Consul at Antananarivo, M. Bandais, has been acting in a very highhanded manner, and riding rough shod over the Malagasy Government. In this course of acting he has been backed up by Commander Le Timbre, of the French warship Forfeit, the object of these tactics being to acquire for France possession of the West Coast. France already possesses Reunion, Mayoita, and the Malagasy islands of St. Mary, on the ea3t, and Nossibe on the West Coast of Madagascar, aud to permit her to obtain a footing in the latter island could not fail to seriously affect British interests in Mauritius, the only British colony in these seas. A strong Power lirtnly established in Madagascar would practicably render useless from a strategical point of view the harbour aud repairing docks at Mauritius, which is the only important British station between the Cape and India.