Connecticut western news., 1882-09-13
THE EGYPTIAN WAR.
General Loring Gives His Views on
 the Situation.

A representative of tho New York Herald recently had an interview with General William w. Loring, formerly of the United States Army as Colonel of the regiment of Mounted Rifiemen, and distinguished in the Mexican war, after ward Major General in the Confeder- ate Army and for many yesrs since our war as Pasha in the Egyptian Army. It is as follows:
 "How do you think the forces of Arabi have behaved on this line in their encounters thus far ?"
 "It must be recollected that Arabi and his troops are new to war. The desperate charges they have made upon the English who were behind their breastworks, and were saved by their cavalry, show better than I expected. The charge of cavalry was under ex. traordinary circumstances. Experience will guard against 8 similar encounter in the future."
 "After leaving @ sufficient force to prevent an advance from Alexandria how much force can he bring on the field at Zagazig?"
 "Arabi ought to have by this time, after leaving sufficient force at Alex andria to defend his line, at least forty to fifty thousand we'll armed troops of all arms"
 'Then how many men do you think he can count upon altogether for this campaign P
 'sAt least 100, 900 we'll armed men, mostly with the Remington rife and the Krhpp gun. with an abundance of ann munition, and an indefinite number of Bedouins for harassing the enemy's Hanks and lines of communication. From Zsgazig to Kelioub, which is forty and half miles, there are other lines-that between Bena and Belrays and between Shibbin -el-Kanatir and Bona. The country, however, has so much sameness from zagazig to Kelioub that it is difficult to tell at what points Arsbi will defend between them"
 Please state, General, the army or ganization as it exists, as near as you can?"
 "I have not my notes with me, and must rely upon my mem ory. There were in 1877 and 1878 about fifty thou sand of all arms in Lower Egypt, and nearly that number in Upper Egypt, extending into the Soudan. There were large number who had been dis ciplned and drilled and who were dis charged in 1878 and 1879 from the ser- vice-probably as many as ten thousand. There are in Lower Egypt something over forty thousand infantry, armed with the Remington rife. The remain der are artillery and cavalry--the artil- lery with the Krupp and other guns and the cavalry with Colts pistol, sabre and lance. Besides, they have quite 8 number of Calling guns .
 "What is the condition of the quar- termaster and commissary depart ment?"
 'The Arab is simple in his diet. He lives upon bread, now and then mutton and beef, rice, beans and few other vegetables, small quantity of coffee and now and then sugar. Everything is cooked with common kind of butter, sometimes oil-very little else. Of these things, or thelr equivalent, for his diet there is an inexhaustible supply. For transportation they use no wagons, but invariably the camel, horse, mule, donkey or buffalo, of which there is an abundant supply. The troops require no shelter, being accustomed to the heat of the monday sun, and lie upon palm mats at night often without cover ing of any kind. Their forage is barley and chopped straw, and ample for all their wants"
 "How can Arabi maintain his ord nance and it's supplies p
 "They have on the desert, a short distance from Cairo, large manufac- tory of very good powder, and at Cairo extensive means of manufacturing car- tridges with caps in an unlimited quan- tity. There was machinery obtained from the United States for the manu- facture of small arms in 1876 or 1878, which may be in operation now, and there was also arranged 8 foundry for cannon. Whether the latter is in opera tion now or otherwise, I don't know. General Stone was urgent on all these subjects, and advised the Khedive to keep all his old iron to make cannon and projectiles.