, 1885-04-26
England Compelled to Accept
the Russian Challenge.
The Premier of Peace and the
Soldiers.
Russia Receives Powerful Aid
and Europe Alarmed.
"A Review of the situation.

land Will be compelled to accept a chal-
lenge to fight. The common people OF
England, that is. those who read or Cos
sip at the pubs. and know what is going
on, seem to believe that there will be war,
but they are not very enthusiastic about
it, Gladstone, more than any premier
England ever had, is a development of
the British populace. He don't believe
in war, unless it is absolutely necessary.
He doesn't think a diplomatic insult, for
instance, or a mere brush against prestige,
is sufficient cause for war. His enemies
even go so far as to say Mr.. Gladstone
would have allowed the Soudan to slip
away rather than fight for it but for Cor
don, and that he does not consider
the retention of India worth the cost of
a war with Russia. The English people be-
lieve he values a soldiers life higher than
does any other Statesman in Europe. 1t
is this characteristic ofthe British premier,
coupled with his supreme reticence during
the past few days. which makes thought
full men believe that war is imminent. 1t
IS everywhere taken for granted that Rus
sia's expected reply to England's recent
remonstrance concerning Gen. Komarof 5
account ofhis conduct at Peniedeh will be
at least evasiye. 1t is ever thought the
car will endeavor to justify Komaroff
action and establish its rectitude from the
very text of Sir Peter Lumsden's account
of the conduct of the Afghans.
The attitude of money in Europe to-day
is one of doubt and uncertainty concern
ing the Anglo Russian situation. The
financial markets may be described as
stagnant There seems TO be an inability
on the part of even the greatest financiers
to divine the exact intention of England.
Hence there arc no large market opera
tons in progress or even in contemplation
so far as known. Capitalists are at pres
ent lending their money from day to day.
They get good terms on these call loans,
and seem afraid to lend for a longer
period. The holders of Russian securities.
both in England and in Germany, are
slow to part with their investments.
1t may be the small investors are imi-
tating the large holders, who, they sup
pose, are ION the inside, and keep what
they have on some supposed superior in
formation. Possibly, also, the steadiness
maintained by Russian stocks in the mar
ket is mainly due to the refusal of holders
to offer freely for fear of causing too
rapid declines. Certain it is, however,
that Russian securities have been steadier
than the seriousness of the situation has
apparently warranted.
The London Spectator says the very
persistence with winch the Russian papers
are urging the seizure of Herat is an evil
dence that they have been inspired for
the purpose of preparing the Russian
public mind for the event. The Specta-
tor goes so far as to say hat it believes
the seizure of Herat has already been
ordered by the car, and declares that the
British troops will be powerless to prevent
its capture.
Nearly all of the London newspapers
have perfected arrangements for securing
by special kilograms news from the scene
of hostilities in the event of var between
England and Russia. The Times and
Standard are the only papers which have
arranged to secure exclusive teleGrams.
Most of the other metropolitan papers
have gone into syndicates with provincial
papers.
Gen. Ralkof, in the Moscow Gasen,
has attracted attention by a skilful revival
of the discussion which was preached at
the time of the meeting Of
the various empcrors at Skermevis'
about the cession of that portion Of Rus
sian Poland bounded on the east by
Nistula river, and including the capital o.
Warsaw to Germany. The revival o
this idea in a paper so official as the Mos
COW Gazette at this time, is deemed yer,
significant and is looked upon as a stronl
bid for German support on the Afghan
question.
1t some quarters it is thought the dis
c%ussion is opened under a secret under
standing with Prince Bismarck that tn
price of the Russian ccssion of this par
Of Poland to Germany is already agree
upon, and hat it is to be no less tina
Germany's active aid in suppressing an
Polish revolt which may occur against tn
cars authority, if Russia goes to wa
with England, and in case of u%ecessit
active friendship as against the latte
power.
British merchants arc showing ho'
keenly alive they are to the danger tbs
the ocean carrying trade may be tram
ferred from England 10 some othc
country (the United States being the mo-
feared in this respect as n result of
protracted war with so strong a nation
Russia, that they have already organize
a movement having for its object the il
huencing of the cabinet to undertake Il
issuing of war risks on shipping. 1t
+ argued that the government could issu
such risks at rates that would pr
: vent the Wholesale transfer
h the British vessels to people
neutral nations, and in th
way carry on a war without serious deti
ment to England's greatest commerce
interest.