The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-04-14
War Between the Two Countries
Believed to be Unavoidable.
RumOI that the Recent Russian Attack
was Caused by Treachery.
Gen. KomarOff's Explanation Regarded
Inadequate.
England Still Making Active Prepara-
tiOns for War.
Gladstone Explains the Delay Of the
British Government.
Reported Attack by Afghans ON the
Russian OutpOsts.

LONDON, April 13.-It ia reported that Ad
miral Dowell, commanding the English fleets
in Chinese waters, ia closely watching Russian
vessels IN those waters.
Instructions have been telegraphed to Sir
Peter sLumsdeT; to transmit to London as quick
ly as possible his report. and that OF Captain
Yates of the conflict on the Kushak river. AT
the various military and naval stations the pre-
parstions for war continue vigorously.
Ohas. Maroin, "a journalist, in lecture on the
AHglo-Russian imbroglio has warned the gov
ernment that, In case OF war, Russia will prob
ably attempt to block the Suez canal, either by
sinking vessels in the channel or by blowing
up the banks at certain points.
The Observer states that the Russian cruisers
Nostromia and st. Petersburg have been pass.
ing to and fro in the canal for a week and that
their movements require watching.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 13.--A rumor Ia cur
rant In st. Petersburg that the conflict between
the Russians and Afghans arose in the follow
ing way:
Some of the English officers stationed at the
Afghan outposts invited some Russian officers
on the 6ther side to breakfast The Russians
were unable to accept the invitation but they
sent an invitation to the English officers. The
latter accepted and stayed in the Russian camp
until late at night. They then asked for an es-
cort. General KomaroH disguised some of his
officers as privates to accompany the escort
the Afghan forces. When the escort arrived
at the Afghan camp, one of the Russians was
observed to be taking notes in his pocket book.
The Afghans tried to take them away. A
struggle ensued and shot was fired, from
which side is not known. The Russian troops
were called to arms and advanced against the
AfghanB next morning.
General Komaroff is already called the con-
queror OF the Afgbans. Everyone at st. Pot
ersburg is elated at his success and considers
the affair a rayarsa for EnOland.
At Odessa, the principal Russian depot on
the Black Sea, war between England and Rus
sia is believed to be unavoidable sooner or
later. The Russians boast that the railway is
being briskly pushed to Sarakhs, and that there
are already 10000 Russian troops on the Afghan
frontier, and that there are 10000 mere at
Tam2raGud which can be marched to Herat in
two or three weeks. The only possible hope of
peace is based on Mr.. Gladstone's pacific
policy.
LONDON, April 13.-Mr. Gladstone in the
House of Commons this afternoon, stated that
the government, upon the receipt from Russia
of General Komaroff's explanation os the
Penjdeh incident, had telegraphed to Sir Peter
Lumsdea for information as to the correctness
of the Russian commanders justification of
his conduct in attacking the Atghans.
In explaining the delay of the government
in reaching final decision as to the Russian
question, Mr.. Gladstone said that the reports
of the Russian officers who took part in the
GERS who witnessed the engagement differed SO
materially in substance and effect that the gov
ernment felt obliged to make an independent
inq0iry. "This," he said, sis proceeding now
and the government are doing everything in
their power towards ascertaining the facts"
Mr. Gladstone also stated that General Ko-
maroff's report of the recent battle between
the Russians and Afghans had been telegraph
en- to Sir Peter Lumsden, but no reply had as
yet been received from the British commits
HinDpr RuESie had tha YrpYn;ar Qlrnittn1
failed to answer the material parts of Engand's
communication sent on the day of the receipt
of the news of the battle.
Mr.. Gladstone stated that the government
was aware of the ramors that the Russians had
advanced to the Mnrghab river, but nothing
official on the subject had been received. He
| expected to soon receive further communities
tion about Gen. Komaroff's action from NJ. de
| Giers, the Russian foreign minister.
| The House after rejecting the amendment
| Offered by Labouchere that England at once
evacuate the Soudan 1t was agreed to reply to
| the Queen's message calling out the reserves
| In the House of Lords the Earl of Salisbury
| asked II the government had heard OF the re-
| port of another battle between Russians and
| Afghans. Earl Granville replied there was
nothing to add to the official statements made
| by Gladstone in the House of Commons.
ST. PETERSBURG, April 13.-The Official
| Messenger publishes today, further commu-
| nicstion from General Komaroff regarding the
| ghans on the Kushak river. He asserts in this
| telegram that the menacing attitude of the
| Afghans in advancing so close to his lines, and
| in occupying several available positions, to-
| gether with the refusal Of the Afghan COM
| mander to pay any attention to his protests,
/ made him expect that the Afghans contem-
| plated a night attack on his lines
BERLIN, April 1S.-IThe government has
| sent circular to all the Russian newspapers in
Germany forbidding them to publish any but
official reports concerning Afgan affairs.
LONDON, April 13.-The recent mail advices
| from India differ significantly from the official
| kilograms recently received concerning the 10y
atty to England of the native chiefs and pe0-
/ pie. The official dispatches, it Is seen, have
bsen unwarrantahly rose-coloEed. They have,
| without exception, declared that the Indian
| princes were impatient to display their LOYALTY
| to England by rushing to battle against the
| Russians. Mail advices materially modify the
| expectations engendered by the official tele-
grams,snd indicate that there is a feeling exist
/ ing pretty generally among the Indians, which
| under certain circumstances, might prove any
thing but advantageous to British prestige in
| India in the event of stubborn and prolonged
| Anglo-Russian conflict. The native Indian
| press 1e, to be sure, nearly unanimous in favor
of war, but the careful observer can discern in
| this newspaper advocacy Of war, wherever it il
| unhampered, more of national Indian feeling
OF resistance to Russian aggression than of sin.
cere loyalty to purely British interests.
In naval and military circles the war fever il
as hot as ever, and peace is considered imposs
Bile. The preparations for war are continued
with unabat6d vigoI, and are no longer viewed
as display OF force to avert war, but as the
preliminaries of an inevitable and desperate
struggle. Various plans for striking Russia 81
Vulnerable points outside the present field o.
hestll1ties are under consideration. The the
ory is that il England and Russia are to fight
Russia must not be allowed to choose the hattl;
field. She has thus far forced hostiities on the
Afghan frontier, which indicates that she i
better prepared to fight there than elsewhere
A prompt attack by England in almost an!
other part of Asatic Russia would it is though
prevent the sending Of re-enforcemsnts to AT
| ghanistan, even if it did not compel the with
drswai OF troops from there to defend the new
| point of attack.
| One plan which is said to be seriously con
tempiated ia TO attack the Russian provinces o
| Transcaucasia, on the east coast of the Blacl
| Sea, The base OF operations for such q cam
psign would be Batum, which is the principa
| port on the eastern coast, and the OBJECTIVE
| point would be Tifis, the capital of Transcau
casia. The Russians are now drawing many o
their re-enforcements for Afghanistan from tn
Cls-Caucasian provinces, and it il argued tina
a serious attack on the other side of the noun
tains would compel them to keep their Cauca
sian troops nearer home. In the event of sue
an enterprise being undertaken by England
the friendship Of Turkey would be of gres
Importance. TranscaRcasia adjcins Turkis
| AEmehla anu IL turkey were uC5tiie EnsIan
would find her troops wedged in between tw
! enemies. This friendship of Turkey Is also Q
vast Importance to either OF the contestants o.
account Of her control OF the Dardsnelles. Thi
control was guaranteed to her by the treaty G
Berlin, and was solennly agreed to by bot
England aud Russia. By its means Turke
oeuld prevent England from getting into @
Russia from getting out of the Black Sea. Rui
sia, at least, is fully alive to the Importance c
the control of the Dsrdaneles, and threaten
to propose, at the next session of the Sue
Canal commission, that the regulations propo
ed for the neutrality of the Suez canal sna
also be made TO apply to the Dardanelles
Sir Peter Lumsden has occupied strong d.
sition at Tispul. He is believed now to be abb
to prevent the Russians from attempting
| coup de main in the direction of Herat.
] RAMAL PlNnr. Anril r. The Earl Of In