Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-09-05
OVER THE CATARACTS.
General Loring Discusses the Proposed Cam
paign on the Nile.
New YORK Herald. !


New YORK IIerild.l
General L0ring was interviewed by a
Herald reporter upon the subject Of the
Egyptian expedition.
"Genoral," asked the reporter, what
ere your views with regard to the success
Of the British expedition about TO start in
Egypt under Lord Wolseieyi'
81 do not think there Is any doubt about
ifs eventual success"
"Do you think the force with him suiii-
Gent to do more than relieve GordOn?"
Certainly rot to hold the country 10
which be is going for any long time; but
by Joining his forces with those OF Gordon
in khartonm he may possibly be able to re-
| lieye the other military posts scattered along
| The White Nile and It's tributaries in ease
| they are not captured before his arrival. Ii
/ rs no. impossible. too, that he may see his
way 10 opening the road from Berber TO
! Suakim b. way OF Kokreb, which would
be an immense advantage to him in any
| ulterior operations"
"Is it your opinion that the expedition
will reach Khartoum In timc!"
| alt is. The force is, to my mind, likely to
reach Assouan by October l. The Nile il
now rising, aud by that date the river will
be in fine boating condition. With his
| 5000 boatmen, Lord WOlscley will he able
10 pass the three cataracts between As
soIan and III pebbe. and also overcome the
adverse current of the Nile. From FL
Debbe he will have to push across 175
miles of desert to Sbendy. where he will
again strike the Nile 100 miles from Khlr-
toum, and where he will be within easy
reach Of GOrdon's boats. My opinion is
that General Wolseley will be able to open
communication with Gordon by about the
middle oi November"
"Stll. | presume. you believe he will
encounter great difficulties. do YOU noti''
Undoubtedly. Under the best OF cir
cun,siarces he task before him IL a Her
culean one. TO move even small force
from Wady IIalfa to khartOum Is an ardu.
ous Usintss: but 10 move such body on
men n Wolscey has under him Is a tre-
mendous task. He has not only TO over
come the difficulties presented by the cata-
lactS and the Nile current, but he has to
feh. the climate. Presumably, however,
he will do 4 great deal OF his marching at
night. As to the tribes along his route, it
Is not likely they will give him much
trouble. His qualities are known, and the
force with him Is too formidable To warrant
the suppostion that The tribes on bis road
will venture TO attack hm."
500 Won believe the eventual abandon
ment Of the SoHdan 10y England prob
ahlc Z"
Il do not. II looks 10 me IS though the
sending Of WOlsccy with 50 large force
foreshadowed a determination on The part
OF the British to hold Khari0um at least.
They will hardly consent to turn over that
vast country. the Soudan, to the slave
| hunters 81 preserve. Then, 1t must bf
remembered, the trade OF the SOudan i
ycrv great, and under England might be
indefinitely expanded. To control it she
would need only a railway between Berbci
and suakim, which | should not be sur
urisod to see projected and eventually built
Her possession Of Massowah points also tc
the ultimate absorption Of Abyssinia.'
at T. hardly necessary. then, General
10 suggest tina; you do not look forward &c
the evacuation OF Egypt by the EngliShI v
Certainly not. Ny fixed opinion has beer
that. once established in Egypt, Engl1nC
would not reinquish her hold on 1t.
have never attached any seriousness to hei
talk about withdrawing her army from ina
country. The control OF the SueZ cana
is a. important 10 her almost as the contro
Of the mouth Of the Thames. II sue with
drew from Egypt the khediye's Govern
| me nj NOulu 20 CON II utlOlb Nhr hANiNu "
the Arab population and the safety OF tn
canal be ieopardized. Neither sh
nor the rest Of the commercial world coul'
afford TO run this risk. Even If tn
Mahdi had not appeared, ether cogen
reasons would have been found Tor he
occupation OF the country. in which
think ,he has the tacit appreciation OF TIA
majority Of the European Powers"
"What effect do you surlnisc the attitud
O, France will have upon England 7"
every little in this matter. unless Franc
should win over two or three OF the othe
great European Powers TO her side
France's present entanglemenls in Asi
are. however, likely TO postpone any fric
iion on this point until she has got Chin
of her hands. To my mindthe other Pow
ers Of Europe will not attempt any sue
difficult task as to ollSt England fror
Egypt. She is there TO stay. aud. a
things considered, hold ito be very muc
to Egypt's advantage"