Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-29
INDIA'S FATE IN DOUBT.
PEACE PROBABLE, BUT WAR
STILL POSSIBLE.

Irishmen said to Have Promised rus
sIa to Revolt I'm Case of War-A New
Scheme which May Cause an Anglo
Turkish Alliance.
LONDON, March 2S.-The Times learns
that the Russian Government has ordered
that $4,000 troops be massed at Baku, on
the Caspian Sea, and has Instructed the
Governor Of the Caucasus to go to st.
Petersburg for consultation.
The steamship Arizona was taken by
the British Government with the option
Of purchase. The America will be fitted
with guns, but for the present she will
remain at the disposal of her owner. The
government expects to secure the steam
ships Oregon and Alaska. These meas
ures have been taken because Russia
made OveTtuTes to English steamship
companies for the purchase of fast steam
ers.
THE POINT NOW AT ISSUE.
The Daily Ne30S says that the state
ments in the Globe yesterday that Earl
Granville had proposed to Russia that
both the Afghaus and Russians retire
from the disputed territory while negotia-
tiOns are ia progress, is untrue. The
EelrS says that there are no specific points
at issue IN regard TO the advance of the
Outposts. The question now is whether
Russia is viking to submit the frontier
question to tie decision of a joint commits
sion. In an editorial referring to the
Duke OF ArgyPs inference from Earl
Granville's reply to one question and his
failure to reply to another, that the gov
1 ernment undoubtedly considered Penjdeh
/ as belonging to the Afghans. The NelCS
/ says that Earl Granville tacitly avOwed
/ that that was the governments view.
RUSSIA MAKING READY.
Advices from Russia say that prepara-
\ tiOns are being made Tor war, and that 81.
/ lence has been imposed on Russian news
papers.
On the return of the Ameer of Afghan
istan to Cabul he will convene DurbaT
and ask the notable TO agree to an in.
| crease of the Afghan army.
The Conservatives are annoyed at the
intimation OF the Marquis Of Harrington
I that discussion of the Greens message
1 will be postponed until after Easter and
they will probably protest against the
/ postpOnement, cOntending that the law
/ provides that if Parliament is not In ses-
sion when the reserve force of the gov
I ernment is called out IL must assemble
within 10 days TO consider the situation
of affairs. The opposition fear that the
measure is only ruse intended to fright
en- Russia.
At Portsmouth all ships belonging t
the first naval reserve, including foul
irOnclads, with all the gunboats and tor
pedo boats, have beon ordered to be gOt
into immediate readiness TO be placed il
1 commission.
The Nizam, of Rawal Pindi, writes con
cerning the threatened Russian invasion
THE Indian people consider that Russian
/ rule means despOtism, corruption of JUS
tice, tyranny and oppression. Russia may
introduce civilization into khiya anC
BOkhara. but in India her rule would
I mean retrOgresslOn."
THE SCARE AT AN END.
There is a marked lull in tie wal
scare. In fact, among the very sober
I minded there is no war scare at all
Some OF the most fiery jingOes even are
beginning to ask themselves what rea
I grounds they have had for causing the
I alarm of the past week. The first an
nOuncement of the Queens summons
calling out the army reserves and militia
/ almost created panic. 1t aroused the
national pugnacity thoroughly. 1t made
I every fighting Englishman ready to tght
1 right away. The pugnacity is still up, Out
there is a growing belief that it is up foI
/ nothing. Blood thirst is being slaked
/ with the coolest kind of water. Aftel
| putting everybody in fever heal
! of excitement by spTinging with
/ out notice the call for reserves,
the Ministry are now apparently attempt
/ inc to minimize the import Of Her Majes
I tvs message by delaying to state what
| number of militia and reserves will be
accepted aud put under arms. Every
effort has been made to draw the govern
ment out on this point, but so far without
success. The Ministers, however, have
I allowed reports TO be circulated to the
effect that no more than $4,000 men are
wanted. These reports have emanated
-,
I so persstently circulated that they are
now generally believed, and so far, to use
an American expression, "the thing has
/ petered out"
$4,000 MEN ONLY ENOUGH TO FILL VA
CANCIEs.
Twenty-Five thousand men are Just
about enough to fill the vacancies in the
muster rolls caused by the recent drafts
for the Egyptian and Mediterranean
stations. Some think that there was
never danger of an actual conflict will
| Russia. and that the government have
I been trying to obtain credit with the
people for having intimidated Russia by
. an act which was admitted to be enOr-
I mOusly maguilied in the popular con-
I ceptiOn. but winch was really "A matter
Of course, ana practically ins 'gniicant
Premier Gladstone has replied to the
/ most pressing requests for Information
as to the true purpOrt OF the Queens sum
/ mons by saying that the government have
/ decided TO pos pone all statements upon
| that subject until after Easter. This reply
was accompanied by a statement that The
( government hoped that it would be able
I during the internal to reach some ar
| ranecmcut with Russia. Taken either as
| statesmanship or humJug, the Premier:
| evasion must be considered a clever piece
of work Of its kind. Lists of all the mer
availsftle for service in the army reserves
and militia have been called for.
RUSSIA NOT IRRITATED.
lie NDrd. the Russian organ at Brus
sells, publishes a significant commentary
| upon the present state of the Afghan dis
/ pute, in the course of which it says
''The people of Russia regard the whole
quarrel with sang frOid and with no trace
Of irritation. This is owning to their
I conviction OF the absurdity of the
I idea of any war between Russia
and England resulting from the AT
CHAN imbrOgliO and the impOssibility on
their part of regarding seriously the war
land in India" lie NOrd follows up this
editorial utterance by printing a letter
dated st. Petersburg, March %, in which
the writer, who is referred to as good au
tnority, SAYS "Tbe present Russian
military movement is nothing but a pre-
/ CdutlOndfy lu6dSuIe, tiCldLCu " LuS NUS
elementary principles of national pru
I dence."
RUSSIA REPORTED ALARMED.
'.The Russian people are alarmed, p
I telegraphs the Paris correspondent of the
London Times, lat the idea Of war. Tney
know he says, "that war with England
would be disastrous TO Russia. The Gar
I needs money, and in the event of war it
would be only possible for him to obtain
a loan upon ruinOus terms. Russians
here" the correspondent continues, ''ad-
NIT that England cannot recede, while
with Russia the whole question is merely
one of ambition. All the powers have
instructed their ambassadors at st. Pc
tersburg and London TO urge the Russian
and English governments to moderation
/ and concession. The ambassadors state
| that both powers are really anxious for
I peace"
ALL RESTING WITH RUSSIA.
! The Times concurs with the NelgS in
/ inferring from Earl GranVille's remarks
! in the House Of Lords last evening that
I the government takes the position that
/ Penideh belongs to the Afghans. his
position makes, the Times thinks, CON-
plete disposal of Russia's plea that Occu-
patton of Penjdeh by the Afghans justi-
fled Russia to advance upon debatable
points.
The question Of peace or war, the Times
declares, now rests more with Russia