Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-22
TROOPS ARE BEING MOVED
Fighting Is imminent and Dengola VIII Be
Reached in Week.
WILL FACE TEN THOUSAND DERWsHEs
The Expedition Was Projected Last
Autumn, But the Khedive Was Not
Informed of 1.-THE Government
Is Very Reticent.

London, March 21.-Last nights de-
bate in the house of commons added moth
ing to the meager information that the
government deems it prudent to reveal
regarding the expedition that is to go to
Dongola, and perhaps further, in an at
tempt to reconquer the Soudan. The
statement made by the Right Hon. Jo-
seph Chamberlain. secretary of state for
the colonies, in advance of the expedition
would be regulated by the extent of the
resistance offered by the Dervishes
seemed either designed to befog the house
or convey the idea that the government
had no definite plan of campaign. What
the minister refuses to disclose can be
found by colating the reports from re-
liable sources. The sensational rumors
with which the British press is unusually
rife deal with the expedition as sudden
decision of the government the fact that
it was to be dispatched being unknown
even to the khedive. They describe the
forward movement of the troops as be-
ing already commenced in bulk, and state
that Akasheh has been occupied, that
fighting is imminent and that Dongola
will be reached in week, when 10000
Dervishes will face the Egyptian forces
projected last autumn when General
Kitchener the srdah of the Egyptian
army, was in England He then bought
. the materials necessary to complete the
railway from Wadhalfa to Akasheh, or
dered a number of light draught steam
ers built to carry stern fireguns and got
the assent of Lord Salisbury to the prep
arations. Though the date of the cam
paign was not then fixed, General Kitch-
ener made no secret of the fact that some
big scheme was being Matched.
Speaking at bennington Wednesday,
Earl Russell stated that he had personal
knowledge that the expedition had long
been decided upon but that it had been
postponed because it was thought mex
pedient This was the view taken of the
matter until the defeat-of the Italians at
Adowal afforded the government an op-
perfume excuse for the dispatch of the
expedition. He added that according to
the plan originally decided upon, General
Kitchener's objective was to be Dongola,
and then Berber, with a simultaneous
advance from Sualxim, on the Red sea-
A railroad was to be built to link DON
COLA and Berber before a march was
made upon Khartoon. There was no
reason to suppose that this plan had
been altered, but it was probable that it
would develop more slowly than some of
the Cairo kilograms predicted.
According to the Times, Dongola may
be reached in three or four weeks. The
military duInOfllleS dl CdiTO, however,
calculate that that place Will not be
reached before June. The van of the
Egyptian troops, consisting of 1900 men,
of which number 800 are cavalry, ought
to occupy Akasheh by today. They are
not expected to get in touch with the
Dervishes there. They will remain at
Akasheh until by reconnotering they
learn the strength of the Dervish out
posts al Firket and are likely to remain
until the Akasheh railroad is completed
The main Egyptian force is now put
at 10000 men of whom 1000 will
be soundanes, who are real fighters
They will not reach the first line of ad-
vance before the end of April. The
march upon Dongola will depend upon
the strength of the Dervishes. that are
concentrating there Doubtful reports
place their number at 10000
Colonel Calmont, who commanded the
camel corps in the Khartoum expedition,
says that the troops ought not. in the
meantime push beyond Akasheh, and
that it is now too late for spring cam
paign in the desert, even for black troops.
The italian and Turkish military at
taches will accompany General Kitch-
ener
Mr.. Henry Labouchre, Sir Charles
Dixie and the Hon. Philip Stanhope, the
radical leaders, refuse to attend the ap-
preaching conference of the national lib
eral federation. Mr.. Labouchre saws
that he will neither directly nor indi-
rectly recognize the federation, and that
the conference can adopt any and every
resolution ii pleases. This tone of con-
tempt cannot be based upon conscious
ness of strength on the part of the La
bouchre clique. The great mass of the
radicals steadily adhere to the fedora
tion.
The proposed canonization of Mary,
Queen of Scotland. has been approved
by the Catholic diocese of Westminster,
where inquiry into her claims to martyr
dom was held. The matter Is now before
the authorities in Rome. The Tablet,
leading Catholic organ, says that the
question of her canonization is not one
dealing with the life of the queen or the
yexed points of her history. The ques.
tion is purely If she died as martyr ia
her faith, it adds that not even her enc
mics can deny her martyrs crown
The position of the British government
is easier under official news from Paris
that France. will either not oppose the
first credit for 100000 from the Egyp-
tian funds for the expense of the Soudan
expedition. or. will confne her opposition
to q formal protest against the use of the
money for this purpose. Russia will re-
main strictly neutral and will give no
support to France as against the expe-
dition Russia Is even credited with
viewing the British projects with some
measure of good will as being likely to
divert the whole energies OF Great Brit
ain in a direction where Russian Inter-
ests are not likely to be greatly concern
ed. Nj. Berthelot, the French minister
of foreign affairs, clearly recognizes,
though the French people do not, that
France is powerless to make an effective
opposition. Russia has no vote in the
commission of the Egyptian public debt,
while Great Britain holds 2 votes, France
. and Austria, Italy and Germany each.
A difference OF opinion exists as to
whether the statutes relating to the COM
mission requires a unanimous or a ma
jcrity vote. In several instances decis-
IONS .hnve been based ON majority vote,
notably the grant of f250. 900 for the abo-
1itlon of the corNea, at which time France
prf,testod against the grant At auy