Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-04-10
confer on the subject with Mr.. Scott of the
British Embassy, in the absence of Sir Ed
ward Mallet, British ambassador.


LONDON. April 3.
The government believes that Gen. Lums,
dents st present at Herat. which he will for
tiiy and hold, if necessary. against the Rus
slams. The ordinary defences,of Herat are
reported in good condition.
Ii Is stated that the promised orders to have
the Russian advance stopped, which NJ. De
Giers, the Russian foreign minister, gave as
surance that he would send, were so man
aged that they did not reach the headquarters
OF Gen. komoroff till after his attack on the
Afghsns.
England will at once demand of Russia an
explanation of her conduct in forcing the bat
tie on the Afghans. This demand will, il is
understood, be coupled with a demand for the
withdrawal of the Russian forces to the north
of Sarskhs. A letter received from Meshid,
dated the 7th of March, states that il was At
that time rumored that recently the Afghans
had sent force out from Herat, aud that this
force had attacked the Russian troops in Zul-
biker Pass, and compelled them to retreat
from the pass. This letter added that the
route of the Russians on this occasion was so
complete that forty of their soldiers and two
officers were driven to seek refuge on the
Persian side of the Herrirood river. NJ Les
sar, the Russian Afghan boundary commits
sioner. ia at present i'll London. In an inter-
view published in the Pail Mall Gazette. con
cerning the statements made in this letter. he
stated that he regarded the news as Of the
gravest importance, if true. He added that
the letter, If reliable afforded complete ex-
PLANTATION of Gen. komoroifs attack on the
Afyhaps a, Penjdeh.
twas ascertained late this afternoon that
todsy's session of the cabinet had not been
called as had been given out, merely 10 pre-
pare for this eso ning's opening oil Parliament
The REAL purpose of the session was to dis
cuss the alarming telegrams which were COM
ing in from Sir Peter Lumsden. The first OF
these despttches was received Yesterday, but
as it came III a complete state it was not acted
on, although It was of an alarming nature
The action was postponed in order to get the
full text of this telegram, which read thus ::
A large force of Russians from Pull Khist
made severe attack ON the Afghsn outposts
at Penjdeh."
AT this point the despatch was broken of
evidently through the cutting of wires. 1t
was decided that SIR Peter Lumsden had
gone at once to Gubrain for the purpose of
remaining on guard at Robat Pass on the
road to Herat.
No doubt was entertained between the time
Of the receipt of the broken despatch and that
while believing of the Afghan defeat at
Penjdeh was really less disastrous than re-
ported. still considered the incident, unless
satisfactorily explained, casus belli.
The cabinet at the session discussed the
question of at once sending the six iron clads
now at Malta to the Dardanelles. There is
great agitation this evening in all of the gov
ernment departments.
1t is stated that 22 900 reinforcements will
be at once sent to India. The first army re-
serve will probably be called out immediate.
ly. Earl Dufferin, at Rawat Pindi, was to-
day informed by telegram of what had oc-
Cured at Penjdeh. He at once told the
Ameer of Afghanistan and the native Indian
chiefs who are in attendance at Canniels.
The chiefs unanimously recommended an i'm
mediate throwing of troops into Afghanistan.
The cabinet sat for two hours. Earl Gran.
vile, after adjournment, had separate inter-
views with Musurus Psshs, the Turkish am.
bsssador, and Baron De Stall, the ambassa-
dor from Russia.
Mr.. Gladstone in the House OF Commons
this evening. in answer to interrogatories.
said that on Saturday the cabinet had con-
sidered Russias reply to Englands propos-
ais to limit the zone of survey to the de-
batable points. Russia's reply was an agree
ment to do this, provided the zone of survey
as marked out by England was extended
southwark so as to include the Parapamissah
range of Mountains. The government con-
sidered that this reply did not advance the
question towards conclusion and was dis.
satisfied with it. Within the past "a hours.
however, said the PRIMER, a subsequent COM
munication had been received from Russia
and this appeared, in the opinion of the gov
ernment, to place the matter in a more hope
tul position. Gladstone said it would be i'm
possible at present for the government to
make any further statement concerning the
pending negotiations about the Afghan
frontier in view of the grave occurrences
just reported.
Continuing, Gladstone said that it was evil
dent that the Russians had attacked the At
ghans. The Afghans had, in this attack.
been defeated, after making gallant resist
ance.
1t was apparent also that the Russians
after the fight bad returned to their former
positions, or at least to the left bank of the
Kushk river, which might be equivalent to
such a retirement. The government has
been informed that the Russians had made
every endeavor to induce the Afghans to be-
gin the fighting. Russian troops had even
twice attempted to forcibly pass through the
Afghan picket lines. After one of these at
tempts had been made to provoke an attack,
Capt Yates met Russian officer of the staff
and talked to him about the conduct of the
Russian soldiers, it being an evident violation
of the Russian agreement to not advance,
pending the outcome of the negotiations The
Russian officer stated that he had no knowl-
edge that anv arrangement existed against q
Russian advance.
Capt. Yates referred TO the official dis
patches sent from st. Petersburg March IL,
to London, assuring England that orders
shall be at once sent to the Russian officers
at the front, directing them to forbid any ad-
vance. and to do all in their power to prevent
the provocaiion of the Afghans. The Rus
sian officer declared that he knew nothing
whatever of any such arrangement. Glad
ston commenting on this, said that England
had kept her part of her agreement, up to
March 80, at least. The Af9hans had made
no advance, nor any forward movement of
any kind. As far as the information pos
sessed by the ministers went, the govern
ment must regard the attack on Penjdeh as
unprovoked The government had anked
for an explanation of this attack from Russia.
Sir Edmard Thornton, British ambassador
to ST. Petersburg, last night telegraphed that
NJ. DE Giers had expressed for himself and
tor the Gar the earnest hope that this un-
sapp incident might not prevent the continual
tion of the negotiations Of peace. lDerisive
lsug ughter
Sir Stafford Northcote asked sarcasticslly