Show c IXGLlSD AND PORIUCL THE finest harbor on the east coast of Africa opens into Delagoa Bay Portugal boo claimed this harbor for some year and to ye up a short time tnne ago her claim was generally gene-rally recognized and respected gne a few weeks since a British Ik snce lrtb manof varton some preten the precise < jjj uru of which has not been wt fortlf in the press dispatches toae poestsiion of the harbor in the hrLr name nm of that ottt government I seems that there were Portuguese guese troops in a certain ditrkt in Africa which England claimed that the British goveranienl lad grn h11 e manded the withdrawal of those troop and ihat the Portuguese gorcrnmint hat promt to order orer them away They had not however how-ever been removed Cllln Cmov as promptly as the British desired or expected uhirli it theonly ground so a as yet explained in the press telegrams for Englands action in taking possession of IElon o the bar b Several European govein ments SremUcli interesled In Af rica Among them England leads In the area of her ar African poses sloe and the finest harbor on the east Co0itoftiiatcontinent e Ct continent isaprize which she prz might be expected to seize with eagerness at tIle first op portunity even If the pretext for OJ E doing were rather flim > y Portugal is greatly Incensed against England agl English merchants mer-chants in Lisbon are being ar beng boy rotted and the Portuguese boJ J ing their U Poru are sever thtr commercial and social rlal relations with Englishmen at a rate which if continued contnue will soon ren der the two nations strangers to each other The Te Portuguese government lias Issued a note to the Powers ask In their ffrieridly interference to prevent the consummation of tile wrong threatened by England in permanently claiming the harbor In dispute The tone o advices from the different countries that havebeen thus appealed to is t tho I tfilct thnj while thejusticc ofPor tugals cause is recognized none of the 1pVers care to Pwe crc enter into a con tent wltbEiigland in her behalf cn fur she la tbopoor small and weak t repay such a service WeJ Portugal ha the earnest sympathy of Sjaojn InuVtd the Irench statesman Zorillo predicted rln prlcte only a few das ago that the two would ultimately unite as a republic But Spain is utterly effete Spin i and Is pow crJcsa to aid her friend Owing to the precarious condition of Euro pean lr none of the stronger governments are likely to take sides against England in this diputi > and the I latter will I probably be wi pbly b p mitted to deal In her own way with Portugal unless she should go too far in the direction ot g a dirion menacing German French or Italian Interests in Africa when one of these tlCe governments gov-ernments might call a halt This incident may not result seriously that Is in an open clash OJU of arms but it adds another element of complication to the already cplcon per turbed and perplexing state of European peon afliiirs |