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Show CroubSes cf-England, I . . i New York, Dec. 20. London papers just received display much anxiety over the attitude of Menelik. emperor of Abyssinia, toward England. At pres- ent there is a dispute between this po- I tentate and Great Britain as to the boundary between Egypt and Abyssin- ia, and it is feared that Menelik may j consider the present an. excellent time i to make a demonstration against the j British. The question of the frontier settle- merits was discussed last year at Addis Adeba. where Mr. Rennel-Rodd, first secretary of the British diplomatic agency at Cairo, went to deliver mag nificent presents to the Negus and conciliate con-ciliate him. The kings of Ethiopia have always claimed the suzerainty of the territories extending northward as far as Nubia, southward to' Mombasa and westward to the White Nile. Menelik claims to be the owner of the right bank of that river, from the fourteenth to the second degree of latitude, lati-tude, just opposite Fashoda. He reiterated reiter-ated these pretensions as early as 1891, in a diplomatic note addressed to all European powers, and the contents of which were identical with the claims he discussed later with the Anglo-Egjptian Anglo-Egjptian envoy, Mr. Rennel-Rodd. Cecil Rhodes' Scheme. ' The scheme of Cecil Rhodes for a Cape to Cairo railroad or rather the plan of a British empire extending without any break from the Mediterranean Mediterra-nean to Cape Town, would be spoiled if Menelik finally succeeded in planting plant-ing the Abyssinian flag over a point on the White Nile. It is highly improbable improb-able that Great Britain, after having chased away the French from Fashoda and the impassable swamps on the left bank of the Egyptian river, would 'allow 'al-low Abyssinia to deprive her of the free passage which is assured to her if the Ethiopians do not occupy the right bank of the Nile. Tin's was so evident that before the Transvaal difficulties England was convinced con-vinced of the impossibility of avoiding a conflict with Abyssinia and a plan of. campaign had been discussed. It was to b3 of an aggressive character, and looking to a conquest of Ethiopian territory. ter-ritory. Things look differently now. Menelik Mene-lik may be the aggressor or, rather, the invader, if he is troubled in his present pres-ent occupation of what he claims to be his own. Sends Out Troops. I Not satisfied with the territorial ! rights which were attributed to ' him by old parchments discovered lately in the library at Lisbon, he has realized the effective occupation required by the clause in the treaty of Berlin, of which he was one of the signers, and he has sent troops to occupy the countries which he claims as his own. In view of an approaching conflict with Great Britain, the Negus has acted act-ed like President Kruger of the Transvaal, Trans-vaal, and has made extensive warlike preparations. For the last two years, according to a writer who is the intimate inti-mate friend of the famous Swiss gentleman. gen-tleman. Mr. II?. the right. hand man of Menelik. the latter and his great feudal feu-dal vassals have imported 300,000 guns of the French pattern, Gras, 4,000,000 cartridges also from France, and several sev-eral thousand Remington, Winchester and Martini grins besides 6,000 revolvers revol-vers and 25.000 blades for lances. Mitrailleuses Mit-railleuses and rapid fire cannon have not been forgotten and the Negus has secure.d an ample provision of them.. Has Formidable Force. The number of Abyssinian soldiers who couTd be called upon to mnke us of hese weapons is somewhat difficult to estimate correctly, especially on account ac-count of the feudal character of the army which is composed of contingents brought by the vassals of the Negus, I and it Is not centralized in the latter's j hands, except on the battlefield. Still, Count An-tonellK diplomat and traveler, estimated at nearly 200,000 men, the force that Menelik coud put , in line some years ago. He divided i this force as follows: Military "Mai-son" "Mai-son" or escort of the emperor 19,000 soldiers, sol-diers, forming a real elite corps; three . army corps, including garrisons and permanent troops, 45,000 men; militia or contingents furnished by the vassal lords, 114,000 and finally 1S.0O0 volunteers volun-teers or "partisans" as they are called by Count Antonelli. Since the publication of his estimates the Abyssinian army has been per-; per-; fected in its armament, if not as to its numerical strength. The intelligence ', department has proved to be excellent; ! it is equal and perhaps superior to thai created by Lord Kitchener in the An-, An-, glo-Egyptian service. As to military ; qualities, the bravery and endurance j of the Abyssinian soldiers have been ; proved in their campaign against the I disciplined, well trained and valiant troops of Italy. -f o . |