The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-06
Indications that Russia and Austria Are
Preparing for a Struggle.
The Armstrong Abduction Case Given to the
Jury-Expectation that Stead and Two
Others Will Be Found Guilty.
KING MILAN WANTS WAR.
Continuation of Active Preparations-Outlint
of the Servian Programme.

of the Servian Programme.
LONDON, Nov. 5-King Milan continues to
actively prepare for war, and is making arrange
ments, in the event of hostilities breaking out.
to advance from Pierpot to Sofia the capital of
Bulgaria. Widdn will be attacked by the force
under M. Garachananionly in case King Milan
defeats Prince Alexander Russia expects that
the Servians will be victorious. If Servia sue
ceeds in taking Sofia and Widdin, Russia will
intervene and insist that King Milan withdraw
behind the Servo Bulgarian frontier, following
the lines as indicated by the treaty of San Ste
fano.
The Servian government is issuing ten-franc
bank notes, payable in silver, in order to meet
the expenses incurred by her war preparations.
The of Prince Alexander has been
stricken from the Russian army list, and the
Prince has been deprived of his colonelcy of the
Russian rife battalion to which he ap-
pointed by the Gar.
The first meeting of the Balkan conference
took place to-day. Business was limited to the
exchanging of credentials and the appointing of
officers The conference will reassemble on
| Saturday, when the first formal session will be
held.
conspiracy among the followers of Prince
Karageorgivcs has been discovered at Belgrade.
Several arrests have been made in connection
Herewith. Disturbances are feared in Albania.
The erasure of the name of Prince Alexander
from the Russian army list has created sensa.
tion even in ST. Petersburg, and is believed to
indicate an absolute rupture between Russia and
Bulgaria.
The North German Gazette, referring to the
matter. says it is an unmistakable indication of
the hostility of Russia toward Bulgaria.
A ST. Petersburg correspondent has succeeded
In sending to London by circutous route a let
ter which. although it is five days old, gives a
more graphic. plausible and impartial statement
of the attitude of the Europeon powers in regard
to the Balkan troubles than has yet been pub
llshed. The correspondent states that the
Russian censorship of press kilograms is more
rigorous than ever before, and the censors have
become SO skilful in reading cipher dispatches
that the telegraph is practically useless to news
paper correspondents. During the Afghan
citement of last spring the correspondents at St
Petersburg and elsewhere in Russia had their
choice of four O.: five excellent cipher codes
which would convey important items of news
while having the appearance of ordinary com
mercial dispatches. Every one of those codes is
now in the possession of the R"esian govern
ment, and as every telegraph elnpioye in the en-
pire is also government official, there Is sharp
watch kept all along the line for raband
news Any dispatch that appears ambiguous is
detained and analyzed by comparison with the
codes. If a word which is in any of the codes is
found in the dispatch, the dispatch is quietly
Stifled, although the correspondent may have
paid in advance $50 800 to have it sent.
Sometimes the correspondent is informed of the
reason why his dispatch has been suppressed,
but this is considered extreme instance Of
official courtesy. The tolls are never refunded.
From the information contained in this letter
iC ovid hiatt hare ic into
hostility between Austria and !. ssia. 1t is also
made clear that all Europe is engaged in an en-
deavor to conceal this fact. and to minimize the
danger of the situation. The speeches of Fran
els Joseph and Count Kalnoky the pacific utter
ances of NJ De Giers and the soothing articles
by the German official press, all have purpose
and tendency to keep the other powers quiet. in
sort of fools paradise. until Austria and Rus
sia are ready for In st. Petersburg war is
looked upon as certainty, and Bulgaria is gen.
orally regarded as the probable battlefield The
consensus of opinion in the official and military
world of Russia is that Austria is using Servia
as cats paw, not to capture Bulgarian terri
tory, but to paralyZe the Balkan conference at
Constantinople by showing the ambassadors
that war is imminent 1t is also universally be-
lieved in Russia that England is privy to this
scheme, and is abetting Austria in her ma
neuvers to get better position than Russia in
preparation for the inevitable conflict.
The activity of war preparations in Russia
continues unabated, and with the splendid state
of efficiency in which the army was put last
spring, in view of possible war with England,
and the steady drill and discipline since main
tanned in every department. it is doubtful if the
Russian army was ever before better organized
or equipped for great war than it is at the
present moment.
The Porte has received news that Austria is
massing troops in Bosnia This. together with
the defiant attitude of Greece. is occasioning
much anxiety at the palace. Consequently, al
though the order to stop mobilization, recently
issued, is still maintained large bodies of troops
have been sent within the last few days from
Constantinople and Trebizonde to reinforce the
commands at Saonica, and to strengthen the line
of defense. Measures have been taken to form
large depots of coal in the archipelago and on
the Adratic, in view of the naval operations
that may come.