The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-05-01
DISTRACTING DELAY.
War Not Declared Yet-DiplOmaey Nay
Probably Avoid BIcOdsheG at
the Last Moment.
A Probable Deficit in the Budget
Creates q Sensation - All
Parties Quietly Accept.
ANGLO-RUssIAN QUESTION.
Komaroff's Reply sir Peter Lumsden-
other Matters Regarding the I'M
pendtpR Crisis


pending Crisis.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 30-The Official
Messenger to-day publishes telegram from
General Komaroff, which is reply to the
dispatch Of Sir Peter Lumsden. the British
Commissioner, denying the accuracy of Gen.
eral Komarof-s report Of the battle on
March 80, on the Kushk River, between the
Russians and Afehans. General Komarof,
in the dispatch published to day, admits that
he had received al order fTcm the Russian
War Office, pfevious to tie battle, not 70 oc-
cupy Penjdeh. but says ths. other officsrs on
the frontier had not yet been advised of the
receipt of such an order. Referring 10
the alleged advance OF Russian troops
previous TO the fight, he Gays that only
solRia Of Turcomans bad advanced toward
Pen jdeh but they had no intensl ton OF at
tacking the Asghans and withdrew, whsn
the latter approached them IN q hostile atti-
tude. General KomarOH reiterates his former
assertion regarding the au0acity aud ARE
gauce OF the AfghSns; their daily drsSing
negrer the Russian camp; their occu patton
Of d commanding position on the left flank
of the camp, and other events whicn led no
TO the battle.
The Official Messenger in sn editorial on
the report Of Sir Peter Lumsden, of the cap
ture and occupation of Peajdeh by the Ras
sisns, Gays: Bad weather has DELAYED the
srrival of the officer whom General Komer0ff
dispatched with detailed account of the
DaltIe Of the 30th nit Sufficient data how
ever, hsVe been received 70 arrive at cor.
rect conclusion OF how far General Lums-
den was warranted IN impugning Gen.
eIal KOmsroff's report, Russia is desrous
of friendly settlement with England, snd
entrusted the GelimitatiOl Of the trOanes
n . Joint Russian aad British commission
But the unexpected eDtry OF the Afgh4ns
into Penjdeh, and the Afghan advance down
the MuTghab ard Herr Ruc Rivers, com
pelled Russia to project her rights in 2
practical manner against this arbitrary
seizure of her territory. In this view Gen.
eral Komarof f. was ordered, in January last,
20 occupy with his yiaettes the line extend
| ing along the HERR Keen, Ressame, Chem
neberd and Chonzekban es far as PAIL
| Kbisti, where the ancient bridge crosses the
kusbk River, thus forming the western
boundary of the Penideh Oasis The Rus.
san commanders We're enjoined to abstain
from armed collision with the Afghsns, IN
less the latter provoked an encounter.
The Russians sc directed, occupied the
above described position on February p.
| Or the 4th Of March Sir Edward Thornton,
| the British Minister, Informed 81. De Giers,
| the Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs
| that the Afghans had been requested uot 70
attack the Russians with tbe object OF
| driving them from their position, bat solely
| land al the same time expressed wish that,
| pendiDg 8 settlement OF her boundary dis
| pute the commanders of the Russian out
| posts be ordered to refrain from making any
| further advance. Russia agreed to this with
certain restrictions, and being informed also
| that Russian outpost was already stationed
| at Pull khista and an Afghan outpost at
| Ak-Tepe, General KomaroH wss requested
| not to occupy Penjdsh- The information
| furnished Russia corresponded with What
| General Lumsden had said-that the Rus.
| slams bad occupied Pul-i.khista, and that
| an Afghan outpost was stationed on
| the right bank of the Kushk
River. Engsnd's explanation that the
| Afghan troops had been requested To stop
| their advance entirely excluded the posi-
| bility OF assuming that the Afghans might
advance their outD0sis to the left bank OF
the Kusbk River. but when General Komer-
| of approached Pnl-i-KblstI he found on the
| left bank of the k1shk River, outside of the
| Penjdeh district, fortified Afghan post.
/ This being IN contradiction win his lnfor-
| nation, he was bound tor the projection OF
/ hts small detachment, to request the Afghan
commander to withdraw his troops from the
! left bank of the river. The Afghan's re-
| fussl TO do this was the direct Cause of tue
! battle OF the 10Th. Hence, 1t is evident that
the intention attributed to General Komar-
| of of bringing on the collision is in contra
| diotion of the facts. General Komsroff did
| not cverstep his orders when he insisted on
| the evacuation OF ths left bank of tbs River
| kushk. Russia is unSole at present TO say
| why the orders mentioned above. aod which
| agreed with the information received by
England, should have been interpreted
in different manner By the British officers
| attached 10 the Afghan datschmsn Mt which
| occupied Penid eh. General Komsrotf's dis.
/ patch OF April Is contains explanations re.
| gsrding several points in General Lums1en's
| telegram OF April Il, concerning which Gen
! eIal kOmaroffs fnal opinion has not get
been received The Moscow Gaze'ts Gays
| If En gland wishes to avoid war she must
i evacuate Port Hamilton. at tho enhance to
| the ses of japan. Otherwise Russia will be
obliged TO occupy HeraL Tue Gazette also
! says that il believes the question of peace or
var must De settled within a few days.
| The Journal De Ss. Petersburg says: "Mr.
| Glsdstone's recent speech on the war credit
| was Of kind 10 carry away Parliament.
| 1t attained its desired result without giving
time for reflection or criticism. Some of his
statements refute each other" The Jonrnai
also says: st is no wonder that the British
| cabinet summoned home Mr.. Stephen, at
tsched TO the British Afghan boundary com
| mission, TO reconcile the statements in Gem
eIal Lumsden's contradictory rsporfs. Will
| il see clearer after his testimony? We kope
| so-in the interest of truth and for the Gp-
peasement which must follow"
A Dispatch from Komarcff.
ST. PErrRsBuRe, April 30-rhe Official
Messenger publishes the following telegram
f.om General Komsrof, dispatched from
Askabad on Friday last: "A telegram for
! bidding the occupation OF Penjdeh reached
| me on March %. 1 only communicated it