The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-04-20
THE OUTLOOK FOR WAR.
England Assumes a Determined
titude--NOtes

NAAune--NOteS
LONDON, April 1Ith.-A very dett
mined and grave position has been
sumed by the. English Government 4
ward Russla concerning the Penideh II
cident. The Ministry has been coerced
the aggresslveness oi public opinion int
tardy bat evidently determined attitutal
OF pugnacIty. At first Gladstone satiE
fled himself with demanding of Russia IA
explanation of General Komaroff7s attadt
upon the Afghans. He felt sure fhA
Russia was sincerely DESTROYS of peaeq
and would discountenance the action az
the commander, no matter how thorourhlv
he might have represented the bellicos3
policy OF the st. Petersburg war party
when the Gar answered that he would ex-
plain to England as soon as General Kom-
aroH explained to him, the British Premier
was forced to conclude that the Czar was
triff1ing to gain time. To-day, therefore.
Earl Granville, British Foreign Minister.
advised Baron De Stael, the Russian En-
bassador to London, that the British
Government had decided that whatever
the nature OF the Russian explanation Of
General homaroffs action might be.
Great Britain would not allow any further
discussion concerning the delimitation of
the afghan frontier to 90 on until fba
RUSSIAN troops have been Withdrawn from
their present outposts in this disputed
territory back to the positions they occu-
pied at the time England appointed her
part OF the commission to adjust the
Afghan frontier. AS this was nearly n
year ago, and as almost all of thu, Russin~I'
advance has been made in the IL eri ~ i
IS difficult to believe that Rus -
seriously attempt to reach an d ga 81; ~
'-,,'. a Finicable IN
Count Yoy. Munster, German
sador tc London, states that at aNobo.
ence upon the Afghan question, heks@
terday, Earl Granville stated that
lard had declared it was impossibleS
continuance Of diplomatic discussion
with Russia unless England was puaran.
teed security against having the result IN
the controversy imperiled by collision on
the disputed frontier, such as had occurred
on the kushk. England, Lord Granville
sad, must refuse to accept Russias as
surance that she desires peace unless that
assurance was accompanied with a with
draWaI to line drawn from Tepi TO
Tariyas.
At the German and Russian Embassies
the opinion is expressed that the Dispute
between the Gar and Great Britain has
actually reached its final phase in diplon-
acy.
Russia's Proposal.
De Giers, the Russian Prime Minister
through Baron De Stae, has offered to
abandon the Russian proposal to extend
the line of the debatable zone proposed bv
England, so as to include the Paropamisus
mountains, and recur to the line suggested
IN the Lessar proposals. This offer on
the part of the Russian Premier. while
apparently containing a concession. ig
considered really to be a ruse to modify
the effects Of General Komaroff's attacIr
and to gain time. The Lessar line. while
within the Paropamisan line, would hard
~ be acceptable to English statesmen.
although the proposal would be made to
appear to the British public as a retreat
on the part of Russia AS Earl Gran
y1lle's demand for the withdrawal of the
RUSSIAN troops was telegraphed to Sir
Edward Thornton, at st. PETERSBURG. after
the receipt of De Giers' proposal. Il ia in
terred that the Russian Premier's over
ture has not met with acceptance. and has
made no impression upon the English
Government