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