204 
ENGLAND IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. 
mainly pathless jungle, but it was believed to contain valuable 
gold-mines, On the pretext that any acquisition of territory in 
America by a European power was contrary to the ‘“ Monroe 
doctrine,” the theory which states that “ America is for the 
Americans,” President Cleveland sent a message to his 
Congress, laying down with unnecessary peremptoriness a 
claim to interfere in the matter, An outburst of anti-British 
feeling in the United States followed, and in the winter of 
1895-96 affairs looked very threatening, Fortunately, the 
English Government kept cool, and American feeling soon 
calmed down, so that later in the year an amicable arbitration 
on the disputed boundary was arranged. It is pleasant in 
1899 to see how entirely the relations between Great Britain 
and the United States have changed, and to recognize that 
‘he wise and conciliatory attitude of our cabinet has had 
its reward. 
The Venezuelan question was at its height when trouble 
Oroke out in South Africa, caused by Dr. Jameson’s mad 
and piratical raid into the 'Transvaal Republic 
The German (December 29—January 1, 1896), of which we 
emperor 
and Dr. shall have to speak at greater length when dealing 
TE ER0R5 with the colonies, "The rage with which the 
German emperor’s most gratuitous telegram to 
President Krüger about Jameson’s surrender was received in 
England, contrasted strangely with the quiet way in which 
Mr. Cleveland’s equally unwise utterances had been taken a 
[ew weeks earlier. Noting the trend of English public opinion, 
and finding himself unlikely to be supported by other powers, 
William II, successfully explained away his telegram, and the 
war scare passed over. 
As if the Armenian, Venezuelan, and 'T’ransvaal difficulties 
were not enough for one year, we were on very bad terms 
witn France in 1896 over the interminable Egyptian question. 
The re-conquest of the Soudan from the Khalifa, the suc- 
cessor of the late Mahdi, having been determined upon, the