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Show IGNORED AT WASHINGTON". No! Credence Whatever Given to Pro- posed Fenian Eaid Story. Washington, Dec. 26. The alleged attempts at-tempts in different oarts of the country coun-try to organize Fenians for a raid into Canada have not, as yet, been drawn, to the attention of the state department, depart-ment, and nothing is knewn upon the subject beyond the matters set out in the newspaper publications. The officials offic-ials do not give the smallest credence to the stories, and are of the opinion that the purpose in sstting them afloat is to frighten the Canadians into keeping keep-ing their soldiers at home, and failing to answer the appeal of England for volunteers for the African campaign. Lord Pauncefote, the British ambas-j ambas-j sador, is too well experienced in American Amer-ican matters to make this the bais of official representations .at this stage, and instead, it is 3aid at the state department de-partment that he has not even found it necessary to remonstrate against the alleged violation or neutrality in the reported recruiting of soldiers for the Boers within the limits of the United States. It is suggested that, the explanation expla-nation for this attitude is a preference on the part oZ the Eritish to deal with auch persons as may enlist here for the Boer army after they leave the boundaries boun-daries of the United States. And it is not doubted that all of these movements that really promise to amount to anything, are being carefully watched, with a view to catching- the volunteers at some convenient point by a fleet cruiser. Should it turn out that a Fenian movement of this kind alleged to exist is actually discovered and brought to the attention of the United States government, gov-ernment, sharp and prompt repressive action will be taken, not only to prevent pre-vent the violation of the neutrality laws, but also to save the raiders themselves from such consequences of their actions as befell the unfortunate Fenian raiders of 1866. The talk of a Fenian raid is well calculated to cause alarm on the Cand-ian Cand-ian side of the border, as the people of that section were greatly agitated during dur-ing the former Fenian excitement. Although Al-though an actual movement occurred then, the chief trouble occurred over alarming reports of invasions which never took place. Something: of a panic took possession of the Canadians on the border, and many women buried their valuables on the islands of the border rivex. On the American side the excitement was intensified by local Fenian organizations, organi-zations, which drilled in apparent anticipation an-ticipation . of a movement, although these proved to be purely local bodies, more or less sympathizing with the movement, but wholly without systematic syste-matic connection! with the head. ' organization. or-ganization. 1;. |