Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-12-15
VAR? OH, NO!
The Pamir Question to Be Set
tied by Arbitration
BY a Joint Chinese, Russian and
British Commission.

Undoubtedly Depends-Fighting on the
Frontier Ceases - Additional British
Reinforcements.
LONDON, Dec. 15.-Dispatches received
here from Calcutta say that there has
been considerable fighting near Gilgit,
on the Pamir frontier, but that the en-
engagements have been of a desultory
character. The tribesmen have taken to
the hills and all pursuit has been stopped
for the present. There has been no
further loss of life among the British,
and the wounded are all doing well.
Busy.
Considerable activity is manifest in
certain government offices here, particu-
larly in the Indian offices; but, it is an
ticipated that no further steps will be
taken until the Marquis of Lansdowne,
the governor general of India, has for
warded to England his report of the
Fort Nil incident. This report, anx-
iously awaited here, will be based not
only upon Colonel Durand's report
of the recent engagement and as to
the causes which led up to it, but
upon Colonel Durand's previous reports
OF October and November last, bear lg
upon the same subject, and in which it
is some such incident as the one which
has just again brought the eastern ques-
ton to the front was anticipated.
1t is said, however, that additional re-
Inducements have been ordered to march
towards Gil it Immediately and that the
Indian government is taking every pre-
caution possible to strengthen the passes
and advance defences, railroad stock ard
roads in the direction of the threatened
disturbances.
Naturally, the exact nature of the pre-
Cautionary measures are not known out
side of the official circles, but, report has
1t that tht Indian government is by no
means unprepared for effective Offensi> e
action and that the government was Dy
no means ST prised to hear of the out |
burst near Gilgit.
VIII Take Their Time.
The Russian ambassador here, &C.
cording to rumor, has been officially |
placed in possession Of all facts in the |
case, as communicated to the Marquis |
of Salisbury, and the latter is said % |
have courteously but firmly requested |
that ambassador to request his govern |
ment to furnish her majesty's govern |
ment with explanations concerning cer- |
tain points in the affair which are re- |
garded with much suspicion by Q |
British officials in India. The Russian |
ambassador is reported to have promptly |
communicated with st. Petersburg with |
the result that he was instructed to in |
form Lord Salisbury that the govern |
ment Of the czar could not furnish the !
explanations requested until the report |
OF the governor general of Eastern |
Turkestan was received. He was, how
ever, instructed to assure the British |
premier that the entire ,uloter would re-
ceive the full and earnest attention of
the government of the car.
The Final Outcome.
The outcome of it all, it is semi
officially stated will be that a joint
Chinese, Russian and British commits
sion will be appointed to consider the
whole Pamir question, and that ad-
vantage will be taken of the appoint
ment of this commission to settle other
important frontier questions which have
long been a source of anxiety to all
parties concerned.
1t is said that this commission will
differ in it's composition from the
frontier commissions which have hither-
to had the duty of celebrating upon
and practically settling similar disputes
as to territory claimed or annexed by
Russia.
Military men have, up to the present,
had the preponderating voice in such
matters. 1t is now said that the pro-
posed commission should include dis
tinguished lawyers, who are experts in
international law, civil surveyors and
civil engineers in addition to mill .dry
experts. The idea seems to be that the
military man looks at matters from a
military standpoint alone, and that there
are other influences which must be con-
sidered most carefully before the
frontier demonstrations can be satisfac-
torily adjusted.
The military authorities are much op-
posed to the proposition to introduce the
civilian element into their deliberations;
the soldiers hold that they and they alone
are competent to decide the points at is
sue, as all those points have direct
bearing upon military operations.
In any case, the proposed commission,
be it military commission or joint civil
and military commission, will have a
gigantic task before it--a task upon the
successful accomplishment of which
a very great deal undoubtedly depends.