Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-03-17
LATE FOREIGN NEWS.
RUSSIAN TROOPS xovINc,

st.rr, Bodice Adyssesne Tewasd msrs-i
Greet Exessemsns AIens she Fseniier The
AsxAans rsruiSsss iierss.
ATchcran special says; Aletter from
Askabad, dated February Gath, says;
!. Communications between strangers
here and people in the outside world
are closely supervised. Troops and
stores are going forward daily en- route
for Mery. The soldiers are previously
blessed by priests. who tell them to
light valiantly against the Cars
enemies. Civilians and military
men openly discuss the likelihood
OF A declaration Of war against Eng
land. Great excitement prevails here.
n is stated that sixteen thousand
trsops altogether have been ordered 10
Mery. Work on the railway from
Kizil-Arvat to Merry is being pushed
with the utmost rapidity. Great DIM
Guilty is experienced in inducing work
men TO 90 TO Merry, as they fear they
will be killed by the British or the
Afghans."
a letter from Sarakhs, dated March
Cd. states that FIVE battalicns Of Russian
;ufaptry and three batteries Of artillery
are en- route from Bokhara to Merv, and
that small party Of Cossacks recently
attempted to traverse the Zulfikar
.defiIe, but was prevented by force.
Il is reported that Sir Peter Lumsden
has arrived at Herat, and that the AZ
rhans are actively fortifying the city.
Small bodies Of Russians hold the wells
aud roads between Sarakhs and the
Murehab river. There are several hum
.ired Cossacks near Pul-i-khatun, which
is the most southerly point nearest
TO Hcrat occupied by Russians.
The Russian forces occupying Mery
consist OF battalion Of infantry,
a regiment Of Dragons, and some Cos
sacks. Az Askabsd there are about
5000 troops OF all arms. One Rus
sian brigade and convoy OF military
stores are en- route from the Caucasus
to Askabad. The Afghans here be-
I,eye that an offensive and defensive al
lance between England and Turkey
wonId have the effect of alternating the
Turcoman from Russian authority. 1t
* expected that the present Governor
of Khorassan will be recalled, and that
his place will be taken by Ruk-ed-Doo-
leh. the Shah's second brother.
A London special says: NJ. Lcssar.
the Russian member of the Afghan
Boundary Commission, in an interview
Yesterday. stated that Russia desired
frontier boundary line, starting at Herr
Rud, little south of Zulikar. thence
running east to Chamani-Baid, on the
Kushk river thence northeast, leaving
Bala Murghab to the Afghans, to APPOINT
few miles south of Penjdeh, and thence
in a direct line northeast TO Khoja
Saleh. Russia, he said, had never ad-
mit,ed that the frontier line due east
from Sarakhs to khojs Ssleh was
the correct one. The Russians had only
advanced in order to protect the Turco-
mans, who were quitting their towns in
fear of an Afghan invasion. England
had obtained information in regard to
the Russian movements long before he
knew of them. because Sir Peter Lums-
den was nearer to telegraph station.
NJ. Lessar declared that Russia had no
designs upon Herat, which belongs to
the Afghans according to the terms of
the treaty of 1873. He hoped to see a
pacific solution of the difficulty, and had
no fear Of collision.