TERMS OF THE CONVENTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6215, 1 August 1898, Page 1

TERMS OF THE CONVENTION.

The London correspondent of the " Lyttelton Times," writing on Juno 17, said -.—The Anglo-French convention in regard to West Africa, the tuxt of which was signed by Sir Edwaiti Monson, on behalf of England, and M. Hanotaux, for France, at midnight last Tuesday, is a document which will net satisfy the true Jingo of the forward school, but to most people it will seem a. very fair and equitable compromise. England, of course, has made " graceful concessions " of a substantial nature to France, and has probably sacrificed more than was absolutely necessary, in order to maintain amicable relations with her next door neighbour in Europe and in Africa, but as the value of what has been given up is entirely problematical, there is nc- particular disposition to haggle over the terms of the bargain, which, at any rate, puts an end for years to come to all risk of friction with France in the region of the Niger. One's disappointment at the fact that France seems to have got a bit the best of the bargain, is indead swallowed up by a feeling of prufouad relief at the solution of an international difficulty, which at ono.time threatened to produce the most serious con-, sequences. • The gist of the convention may be briefly stated thus : — England gives up the right cr western bank of the Niger from Say to 1110, and waives her right to the eastern or Sokoto side of the river between the same points. Thus the Say-Bafrua line, as defined in the 1890 agreement, 'disappears as far as Say is concerned. Such a concession should only be made for some very definite return, and this 1 the British Commissioners claim to liave obtained. The line from Say to Barrua (en Lake Tchad) was, according to the agreement of 1890, to be deflected north to as to leave to England " all that property belonging " to the kingdom of Sokoto. It was found, however, ttiat the dominions of the Sultan of Sokoto and hia tributaries did not extend west even as far as the Niger at Say, nor any considerable distance north of Wurnu, ami that town was found to be on the northern edge of the Great Fulah's empire. Thus a strict interpretation of the 1890 agreement would have brought the French frontier close to the capital of our most important tributary. This result would have been highly undesirable, and therefore it has been agreed that all the territory within the radius of a hundred miles of the town of Sokoto shall be British. In. as far as this circle extends north of the Say-Barrua line, it is a concesaien to Great Britain, and within this radius are the towns of Jega and Argungu. The new boundary will start from a point on the eastern bank of the Niger, a little above 1110, and go north-east till it strikes the line of the hundred miles radius which it follows. This will leave to France a strip of territory eighty miles across at its. broadest, or northern, end, and about a hundred mflesnf the river bank. In other words, above 1110 both banks of the Niger .will be French. For the greater part of the stretch between 1110 and Say the stream is now, however, navigable.

Whether we get a sufficient return for the surrender of the " Argungn triangle," as the East Nigerian strip given to France is called, is a matter of doubt, but at the further end of the line we get a little acknowledgment from France which may prove of value. By the terms of the agreement Bornu is recognised as British, including the part of it east of the meridian passing through Barrua. The Anglo-French boundary is, in fact, continued until it meets the fourteenth degree of east longitude, when it drops south across the lake to the Anglo-German frontier line. This absolutely secures to Great Britain the western end of Lake Tchad.

In the Lagos hinterland a better bargain has been made. .The two "ports" on the Niger leased to Franca resolve themselves practically into two small areas, where the French can store goods in bond duty free. The sovereignty over these areas — which are leased for thirty years — remains absolutely with England, and the policing and administration will be in English hands. Of the two concessions, one will be situateftl near the mouth of the Niger, where merchandise brcught by ocean steamer can be stored, and the other near Leaba, on the right bank of the river, a little below the rapids. To this spot the French merchandise must be brought, still in bond, and thence taken across by the nearest route to a particular " land port " near Nikki, the exact location of which has net yet been determined. Unless removed from the " land port " within a given time, the goods will be liable to duty, as they will be if bulk is broken anywhere in British territory. Moreover, the two bonded areas must not exceed 140 acres in extent. It ■will thus be seen that precautions have been taken to secure that the privileges granted to French merchants for the free import of goods will not ba abused. At the end cf thirty years the lease may be terminated at twelve months' notice. The agreement as to the non-imposition of differential duties in the possession of either ccuntry is in the same terms as that respecting the leased areas, and is effective as regards all tha west coast colonies, but France is left free to differentiate her tariffs against the British colonies .of Gambia and Sierra Leone.