Daily Republican., 1885-03-28
England VS.. Russia.
THICK AND DARK-THEA Ar.
GHANS READY TO FIGHT.
BRITISH LIONS GROWL.

LONDON, March N.-A prominent
official at the Russian Embassy tonight
offered to bet the press correspondent
two to one In any amount that there
would be NO war between Russia and
England. The talk at the Russia EN-.
bassy is cheerful when visitors are pre-
sent, but the gaiety seems forced and
the visitor leaves with an impression
that the diplomats are trying to put .
good face upOu o serious matter.
M. de Giers, the Russian foreign min
lister, has responded to Lord GrAnville's
peremptory demand for q reply to Eng.
lands despatch of the 165h instant,
which proposed that both Russia and
England should withdraw their troops
from the disputed territory in the North
of Afghanistan until the boundary
should be defined by the international
commission appointed several months
ago for that purpose. Lord Granville's
letter required that o reply should be
received at London not later than next
Monday.
This was hailed as q very siQuifcant
growl of the B .itish lion, and the opinion
was freely expressed that the Russian
bear would speedily be brouEhtto terms.
N. de Giers now replies that he has
read the communication Of Earl Gran.
vile with great atten tion and respect !;
that 1t contains valuable suggestions as
to the preservation of peace between
the two countries, which will be most
carefully weighed by Russia, and that q
reply to such an admirable letter can.
not be written hastily, but he promises
that formal reply shall be delivered
at Londen not later than next Tuesday
unless unforeseen emergencies should
arise.
NO CONFIDENCE IN RUSSIA.
Nobody in London, except the most
confirmed optimists, believes that Rus
sia will send any satisfactory and def.
mite answer next Tuesday or at any
future time. The answer that every
body expects will come from field
ARTILLERY. The general belief is that
the Russians are steadily advancing as
fast as their troops can be licked into
shape, and that the next move on the
chessboard of war will be q riot at Peni-
deb, which will seem TO compel the
Occupation of the town by Russia.
The committee appointed to superin
tend the dS1oils of mobilizing the
British arm4is holding daily and
almost continuous sessions at the
Iofice of the director of supplies and
transport in Pail Mall. 1t is not an
easy task to FIJI midas requisition with
ht soldiers. India demands twenty
three regiments of infantry, three
Regiments of cavalry, Two batteries Of
held artillery and eighteen of horse
artillery. Plenty of men can be had,
and the equipments can be found or
manufactured, but putting a man on
top OF horse does not make him a
cavalry man, and all the uniforms that
could be piled upon the average
British militia man would never cause
him to be mistaken for soldier by the
most near sighted Cossack.
THE AFGHANS WILL FIGHT.
The Afehans are reported to be full
OF war enthusiasm. 1t is estinl ated that
the moment hostility begins 12,O00
Afghan regular troops and 80, 900 un-
drilled tribesnen can be put into tho
field to co operate with the British.
The total British force, capable of effi-
Icient service in Afshanistan, if war oc-
ours within the next three months, will
be 80, 5,O00 OF these 40, 600 will be British
soldiers and $4,000 will be native In
dian troops. The Indian War Office ia
continually receiving applications from
officers of the British volunteer force
asking for appointments In the active
army in case of war with Russia. MANY
OF the applicants express their willing
ness to go step or two below their
present rank in the volunteers for the
sake of seeing actual service. More
than 500 of these applications are al
ready on file. They are docketed az.
cording to the rank of the officers. and
| the earlier applicants in each rank
Will have the first chance to stop
bullets oP