Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-18
LUNIsDENs REPLY.
KOmaro6 Aware of the AngIO.Russial
Agreement Before He Advanced.


Agreement Before He Advanced.
LONDON, April 17.-Premier Gladstone
in the House OF Commons this afternoon
stated that the government had to-day re-
ceived from Sir Peter Lumsden reply to
their request for an Independent report
upon the Pendjeh incident. In this it is
stated that Gen. KomarOf was aware at
as early date as March 28 of the
understanding agreed upon March II be-
tween Russia and England. According TO
the terms Of this understanding England
was to deter the Afghans and the Car was
to deter his troops from advancing beyond
the positions they then respectively Occu-
pied until some subsequent agreement
about the demarcatiOn of the Afghan
frontier could be reached between the
two governments. The battle on the
Kushk was fought, therefore, several
days after Gen. KomarOf had been made
aware OF the agreement not to advance.
1t will be remembered that Capt. Yates
the British officer who witnessed the bat
tie, was assured by the Russian officer
who commanded in the fight that he knew
nothing of the understanding of March II.
Sir. Lumsden's present report appears to
warrant the inference that whatever Gen.
komaTotf knew officially about st. Peters
burg's agreement with London he kept to
himself.
Premier Gladstone being asked if the
government had protested against the re-
cent occupation of Pendjeh by Gen.
Kamarof and his establishment of Rus
sian administration there, answered that
the government had not yet made either
occurrence the subject of official COM
municatiOn with Russia. The govern
ment was awaiting further information,
the Premier said, concerning these events.
LUAfDEN's DISPATCH IN CIPHER.
Continuing, Premier Gladstone said:
eve asked Sir Peter Lumsden for fun
and consecutive account Of the events of
March 80 the day the battle on the Kushk
was fOught). A telegram from him has
arrived since we sent our request. It is
dated at Tirpul, April l3. 1t is in cipher
and is now being deciphered. We shall
be unable to say anything further upOn
this branch of the subject until this dis
patch is fully deciphered. The fact that
the Russian commander was aware of the
agreement of March II before
March 30 and the question as to
whether or not he acted upon instructions,
or contrary to instructions, concerning
that agreement, would form the subject
of future communications between the
government and Rrussia. In regard itO
SLAMS of an administration at Pendieh, the
government knew nothing officially, and
must await fuller information"
TO ASK FOR CREDIT.
Premier Gladstone concluded by say
ing: ''The government will on Monday
or Tuesday next ask the House to sane
ton a vote Of credit When this is re-
quested we will state how much money ls
wanted, and what it is wanted for, and
then shall probably be able to cover the
entire question fully"
Lord Edmund Fitzmaurice, Under
Foreign Secretary, in answer TO an in
terrogatOry put by Sir Stafford N0rthcote,
the Conservative leader, said that the
government considered Pendieh m
Afghauistan, proper lbut not far from the
Russian frontier.
The government has received from Sir
Peter Lumsden full details Of the battle
Of March 80 between Gen, komaroHs
forces and the Afghans on Kushk river.