The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-06
The British Cabinet Approves the Agreement
Made Between Dufferin and Abdurrahman
"A Large Russian Force in Turkestan.
Ismail Pasha Tells Why England Cam
not Conquer and Hold the SOudan.
Henri Brisson Undertakes to Form New
French Cabinet-More United States
Marines Ordered to Aspinwall.
THE DISPUTED BOUNDARY.
Russia Prolongs the Negotiations in Order "a
Gain Time.

Russia Prolongs the Negotiations in Order ia
Gain Time.
LONDON, April 5.-The Cabinet, at council
to-day approved the agreement made between
the Ameer of Afghanistan and the Earl of Duff
ferin. Abdurrahman's expression of a desire to
visit England having been reported by Lord
Duferin to the home government, the Viceroy
has been instructed TO invite the Ameer to come
to London, a guest of the Crown. The
Cabinet, at its session this afternoon, had
under consideration the acceptance of Engand's
proposals concerning the Afghan boundary line,
as sent to Earl Granville, British foreign minis
ter, by Prime Minister DeGiers, for Russia. The
Russian response cannot be deemed a complete
acceptance, or anything more than provisional
acceptance M. DeGiers, in answer to Earl
Granvilles proposal that Russia agree to con-
fine the dispute between thu two powers to a
zone including all the debatable portions,
and to be called the zone of sur
vey as delimitated by England in
the proposal, agrees to do so, provided the zone
be extended southwark to the foot Of the
Parapamisan range of mountains If this re-
quest is granted, Russia will consent to limit the
discussion to zone containing all the points
admitted by England to be debatable, provided
this zone is so extended as to include all the
territory which Russia desires to make debat-
able.
Baron De Staal, the Russian ambassador to
England, has sent separate communication to
Earl Granville. The contents Of this have not
yet been made public. but it is reported, on
what is considered good authority, that the
De Staal document is an official Russian
utterance On the subject of the irritation
caused Russia by the military and nti-Russian
demonstrations il India. 1t is also stated
that this document urges England to agree with
Russia to abandon al military preparations and
demonstrations in reference to the Afghan from
tier until the conclusion or failure of the pending
negotiations. Russia confines to declare that she
is making no preparations for war at the border,
and Baron de Staal afhrms strongly to that ef-
feet. But all these protests are looked upon here
as diplomatic declarations. The English embas-
sy at Teheran, Persia, near the locality of the
threatened conflict, reports that large masses of
Russian troops continue to pass through Tifiis to
the southwark. The English consul at Bat0um
makes similar report The reports from both
sources are to the effect that these large
bodies of troops arc supposed to be
on their way to Mera or Meshed.
The British government has also received relia-
BILE information to the effect that there has been
recently an immense increase In the mum Der or
Russian, troops in Turkestan. These late ad-
vices estimate that the number of Russian SOL
diers already stationed in a line between Baku
and Sarakhs is at least 65, ,000
The nature of the response from M. DeGiers
to the English proposals makes it necessary to
prolong the period of correspondence between
the two powers on the Afghan question, as the
joint commissioners appointed by England and
Russia to meet and adjust the Afghan boundary
within the lines agreed upon by the disputants
cannot meet or begin their work until the zone
debated is delimtated by the principles. It
follows that Russia, whatever her ultimate
object may be, is at present engaged successfully
in the effort to gain time.
Since the subsidence of last weeks war news
the Conservative press claim to have discovered
that the government mad, use of the Queens
to secure votes for the Egyptian financial agree
pect of change of government on the eve of a
war with great power.
Prof. Arminius Vambery, the distinguished
traveller, is of the opinion that war between
England and Russia is inevitable. He says that
the Rawul Pindee meeting will, perhaps, delay
the outbreak, but that If the Ameer OF
Afghanistan consents to the construction OF
an English railway from Sdi to Herat
hostilities will commence in few weeks. He
believes that Russia, at best only waits the
completion of the railroad to Pull Khatum, and
that if she had been able to get soldiers secretly
across the Caspian sea, war may begin directly.
He adds that the Afghan question is mainly,
who is willing to give the richest subsidy to the
Ameer, whose friendship will 60 to the highest
bidder