New-York tribune., 1885-02-10

there can be junction of General Buffers anu
General Earle's forces, Since retreat Is impos'
sible in the present state of public feeling III
England the flying column will have to choose
between resuming offensive operations ana
remaining on the defensive. The former would
seem to be the wiser course. The British Will
lose prestige every day they remain ldie, anu
the hostile force will be steadily recruited. "A
successful assault upon Metemneh would clear
the ground behind them and secure their line Oh
communication with KOrti. 1t would also
greatly facilitate trading operations with the
natives, by which supplies for the force could
be obtained close at hand.
Preparations for war on large scale are
making in England. There is great activity az
Chatham and Aldershot, and one regiment OF
Hussars and battaliOns of four regiments OF
various arms of the service have received
orders to embark for Egypt The announce
ment that their destination is Suakim Is prop
ably premature, as the plan Of campaign can
not have been formed so hastily. But 1t is plain
that the river route will have to be abandoned
and that if strong column be sent to the relief
of General Wolseley's army, the Suakim- Berber
route will have to be selected. Probably the
English troops now preparing to embark VIII
take the place Of seasoned troops now on garri-
son duty in Egypt, and the latter with an
Indian contingent willmarch from the seaDoard
TO the Nile. A more arduous and hazardous
undertaking cannot easily be imagined. The
distance is variOusly estimated at from 25O TO
$50 miles, for the greater part over a wateriess
plaiu. year ago General Herbert Stewart
volunteered to take body of 500 troopers
across the Nubian desert to Berber In six days.
Three weeks of forced marching would be re-
auired for large force with field artillery and
conveys of provisions. Such an expedi-
ton cannot be organized without serious
delays. Large numbers of camels are indls-
pensable, and as there are few villages
and wells on the road, elaborate preparations
for the transportation of supplies will be
requisite. 1t is doubtful whether the relief
column can be put in motion before the middle
of March. This would be the season when
General Graham's soldiers fell fainting from
sunstrOke only few miles from the sea coast,
and when foOt-march in the burning sahd
proved almost beyond human endurance.
The extreme difficulty of the Suakim- -Berber
route may tempt the English authorities TO
accept prollers Of aid from the Italian Govern
ment, if these have been seriously considered
outside the newspaper offices in Rome. There
is no longer any doubt about the virtual annex
alton of the coast line from Assab Bay north
ward. The Italian flag has been raised at
Massowah as well as at Annesley Bay, and en-
thusiasts at Rome are already advocating
Joint military expedition for the relief of Khar-
toum. The distance from Massowah to the
scene of General GordOn's fate is some 400
miles in an air line and, although the supply
of water is plentiful, the route is crcuitous, and
offers serious obstacles to the passage of an
army. An expedition setting out from Masso-
wah would have the disadvantage of n much
longer road, and would also have to defeat the
Mahdi's fanatical horde and recapture khar-
toum, before relieving General Wolselcy's
scattered columns on the Nile. With Suakim
as a seaboard base of operations, Berber would
be the point where General Earlc's column
would be met by second army, or to which
General Buler's forces, if hard pressed, could
retire from Metemnch and await the arrival of
reinforcements. The SualSm route even with
difficulties seemingly insuperable, seems to be
the only one that Is open to the British staff.