And now straightway they are beginning the old game again -- to steal each other's grabbings.

Germany found a vast slice of Central Africa with the English flag and the English missionary and the English trader scattered all over it, but with certain formalities neglected--no signs up, "Keep off the grass," "Trespassers-forbidden," etc .-- and she stepped in with a cold calm smile and put up the signs herself, and swept those English pioneers promptly out of the country.
There is a tremendous point there.

It can be put into the form of a maxim: Get your formalities right--never mind about the moralities.
It was an impudent thing; but England had to put up with it.

Now, in the case of Madagascar, the formalities had originally been observed, but by neglect they had fallen into desuetude ages ago.

England should have snatched Madagascar from the French clothes-line.