The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-03-22
SOUDANE SE WAR CLOUD.
the BRITIsH EXPEDITION WAS
PLANNED LAST FAN.
Forty Thousand Men Are Now In che RhH-
mas Force rae Dervishes Are Now
ETrctive RIne men, and the Plan OF
FornIng Ia squares VIII Not Work.

LONDON, March 2l.-IaSt nights debate in
the House Of Commons added nothing to the
mcagre information that the Government deems
II prudent to reveal regarding the expedition
that Is to go to DonRola and perhaps further.
The statement made by MIR. Joseph Chamber
lain. secretary OF State for the Colonies. that
the advance of the expedition would be regu-
lated by the extent Of the resistance offered by
the dcrvishes. seemed either designed to befog
the House or to convey the idea that the Gov
eminent had no definite plan OF campaign.
What the Ministers refuse to disclose can DO
found by collating the reports from reliable
sources.
The expedition was projected last fail. when
Gen. Kitchener. tho Sirdar Of the Egyptian
army, was In England. lie then bought tho
materials necessary to complete the railway
from Wady Halfa to Akasheh, ordered n mum
Der OF light-draught steamers built to carry
stern-fre guns. and got the assent OF Lord
Salisbury to the preparations. Though the
date of the campaign was not then fixed, Gen.
Kitchener made no secret Of the fact that some
big scheme was being Matched.
Speaking at bennington on Wednesday, Earl
Russell said that he had personal knowledge
that the expedition had long been decided upon.
but that II had been postponed because IL was
thought inexpedient. This was the view taken
OF tho matter until the defeat of the Italians at
Adua afforded the Government an opportune
tNEusC U lIlb uthIhltH VI NIt tN ptllIlDn. II
added that. according to the plan originally de-
cided upon. Gen. Kitchener's first objective was
to be Dongola. and then Berber. with a simulta.
neous advance from Suakin, on the Red Sea. a
railway was to be built to link Dongola and Rer-
Der before a march was made upon khartoum.
There was no reason to suppose that this plan
had been altered. but IL was probable that 1t
would develop more slowly than some of the
Cairo kilograms indicated.
A,,,rJip1 70 tla Tf.,.y nOnanIa pnov hA
reached in three or four weeks. The military
authorities at Cairo, however. calculate that
that place will not be reached before June. The
van of the Egyptian troops, consisting OF 200
men. of which number 500 are cam"lry.
ought to occupy Akasheh by to-day. They
are not expected to get in touch with the der
wishes there. They will remain at Akas eh
until by recommending they learn the strength
OF the dervish %outposts at Firket. and are likely
to remain until the Akasheh railway is COM
pleted. The main Egy san force is now put at
$1,000 men, of whom 4.vUO will be Soudanese,
who are real fighters. IHey will not reach the
nrst line of advance before the end of April.
The march upon Dongola will depend upon the
strength Of the dervishes who are concent rating
there. Doubtful reports place their number at
5000.
Col. Calmont. who commanded tho camel
corps In the Khartoum expedition. says that
the troops ought not in the mean time to push
forward beyond Akasheh, and that It is now
too late for q spring campaign In the desert
even for black troops. The Italian and Turkish
military attaches will accompany Gen. kitch-
ener.
The position of the British Government Is
easier under official news from Paris that
France will either not oppose the first credit
for $500. 600 from the Egyptian funds for the
EXPENSES of the Soudan expedite or will con-
Ana har nppnsitipn IN n formal protast oUaiDSt
the use of the money for this purpose.
Russia will remain strictly neutral and will
give no support to France "a against the expe-
ditjon. Russia IL even credited with viewing
the British projects with some measure Of good
will. rs being lI ely to divert the whole energies
OF Great Britain in n direction where Russian
interests are not likely to be greatly concerned.
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 two votes, France two, and
Austria, Italy. and Germany one each. A diff
ference Of opinion exists as to whether the
statutes relating to the Commission require a
unanimous or a majority vote. In several in
stances decisions have been based on a majority
vote, notably the grant Of e25O, 900 for the all
clifton of the Corvee, at which time France
protested against the grant, At any rate, NJ.
Berthelot. feeling himself powerless to prevent
the expedition, has beaten a retreat.
The War Office officials here declare that the
expedition will be only a reconnaissance in
force, and will not admit that the present phase
is ANYTHING beyond an initial step in an autumn
campaign,
The army intelligence department possesses
only the most vague information regarding the
strength of the Mahdists. Military experts dis
trust the estimates made by Slatin Pasha,
though his long captivity among the Mahdists
should, on the face of things, have made him an
authority on the subject.
These experts consider that a report made by
the Russian traveller Eliseief, who was recently
elected n member of the Russian Geographical
Society, Is more reliable than that Of SIatin
Pasha. He says that the Khalifn's force num-
beers 40. 900 men. including 10. 1000 cavalry and
camelry. They possess 100. 900 rifles, of which
90 600 are Remingtons. really fit for service,