The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-12
tLONDON AND ST. PETERSBURG.
The Tension Not Lessened by Russias Re.
ply to England.

The Tension Not Lessened by Russias Re-
ply to England.
LONDON, April lin official circles it is be-
ieved that the latest communication from Rus
sia on the Penjdeh incident has not in the least
lessened the tension between England and
Russia.
Two men-ofwar belonging to the channel
squadron, now at Kingstown, Ireland, have been
ordered to Portsmouth to take the torpedoes on
board 1t lis reported that they will then proceed
Immediately to the Baltic.
The War Office is overwhelmed with offers of
service sent in by army, militia and volunteer
officers. The recruiting depots in London and
in the provinces are daily besieged by men
anxious to enter the military service, in view
of the prospect of war with Russia Suitable
applicants are being accepted as rapidly as
can be arranged. All the admirals of
the British navy have been notified
to hold themselves in readiness for
active service. A special injunction has been
Hay commanding the British squadron in the
Mediterranean to hold his fleet ready for service.
A very determined AM. grave position has been
assumed by the English government toward
Russia concerning the Penjdeh incident. The
Ministry, it appears, have been coerced by the
aggressiveness of public opinion into tardy,
but evidently determined attitude of pugnacity.
To-day Earl Granville British Foreign
Minister, advised Baron De Staal, Rus
sian ambassador to London, that the
British government had decided thai, whatever
the nature of the Russian explanation of Gen.
Komaroff's action might be, Great Britain would
not allow any further discussion concerning the
delmitation of the Afghan frontier to 60 on un-
til the Russian troops have been
withdrawn from their present outposts
in the disputed territory back to the
positions which they occupied at the time Eng
land appointed her part of the commission to
adjust the Afghan frontier. AS this was nearly
year ago. and as almost all Of the Russian ad-
vance has been made in the interval it is diff
cult to believe that Russia will seriously at
-
Count Won Munster, the German ambassador
to London, is given as authority for a most sig
Ministers. The German minister states
that at a conference upon the Afghan
situation, held yesterday, Earl Granville de-
clared that England had resolved that it
was impossible to consent to continuance of
diplomatic discussion with Russia unless Eng
land was guaranteed security against having the
results of the controversy imperiled by collisions
on the disputed frontier, such as had occurred on
the Kushk.
At the German and Russian embassies here
the opinion is expressed that the dispute be-
tween the Car and Great Britain has actually
reached its final phase in diplomacy. NJ. De
Giers, Russian Prime Minister, through Baron
De Staa has offered to abandon the Russian pro-
posal to extend the line of the debatable zone
proposed by England. so as to include the Para.
pamisus mountains and recur to the line sug-
gested in the Lessar proposals. This
offer on the part of the Russian
Premier, while apparently containing a
concession, is considered to be really a
ruse to modify the effects of General Komaroff's
attack and to gain time. The Lessar line, while
within the Parapamissian line, would hardly be
acceptable to English statesmen, although the
proposal could be made to appear to
the British public retreat on
the part of Russia AS Earl Granvilles demand
for the withdrawal of the Russian troops was
telegraphed to Sir Edward Thornton, at St
Petersburg. after the receipt of NJ. De Griers's
proposal, i. is inferred that the Russian Pre-
mier's overtures were not met with acceptance,
and have made no impression upon the English
government.
Both Russia and England are busily engaged
in correspondence with other powers, and are