The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-04-05

the Matabele Outbreak, and That the
Troops In Africa Can Handle 1t, All Be
Ing Taken Serious.y, Result in a Demand
That Something be Done, Which Is Ex-
actiy What Sir Joseph Wants to Do
The Soudan Expedition.
copyrighted 1896 by the Associated Press)
London, April All official and semi
Official statements to the contrary, it is
generally admitted that the situation in
South Africa is unsatisfactory. Even
! the reassuring statements made by the
secretary of state for the colonies, Mr..
Chamberlain, has noe changed the pub
lie opinion on the subject, and today he
is openly accused of trifling with the
situation and pretending that the
scanty forces there are able to cope with
the rebellion of the Matabeles and its
possible outcome.
1t seems beyond question that Bulu-
wayo and Gfwelo are the only two sta
tons in Matabeleland which are in a
defensive condition and there is a
strong possibility that communication
with these towns will shortly be entire
ly cut off. Mr.. Chamberlain's disin-
clinatton to have strong achievements
Of British troops sent to South Africa is
said to arise from his desire TO do moth
Ing which may give color to the French
and German charge that the real OBJ
3ect Of sending the reinforcements 10
South Africa is to coerce the Beers.
SOUDAN EXPEDITION.
Then again, the scope of the Soudan
expedition appears to be widening and
there is conSidera BILE fear in many quar-
ters that the government does not real
lie the extent of the undertaking. Ex-
perts in Dervish warfare say that the
AagIo-Egyptian is inadequate 20 cope
with the situation, and that there is
acute danger that communication with
the advance guard of the Egyptian
troops may be cut off, and the latter be
annihilated before it is possible for the
support of British troops to arrive. It
is urged that reinforcements Of at least
10000 troops should be promptly sent to
Africa from India alone and ii is point
ed out that according to reliable mfor-
nation, the Khalifa's forces are pour
Ing into the DOngOla district with the
evident intention of getting behind the
advancing force. Should the march be
continued and the troops from India be
promptly landed at Suakan, they Will
break Osman Digna's force and threat
en- the rear Of the Dervishes. In less
than a month the whole column Of the
AngIo-Egyptlan army which will push
UP the Nile, will be concentrated thirty
five miles from Wady Halfa, ready TO
march upon Akasheh. The rapid pro-
gress to the front shows that the trans
port arrangements are working well.
Men, arms, ammunition and stores are
being conveyed over a very difficult
route without the slightest hitch. Cen
eral H. H. Kitchener. the sirdar Of the
Egyptian forces, viii remain at Akas-
hen until he succeeds in collecting his
complete forces there. In the Interval
the camel corps and cavalry will push
fo-awrd to the nearest DerviSh post, at
Suarda- The Dervishes are already re-
connoitering near Akesheh.
AFGHAN AFFAIRS.
DR.. Lillian Hamilton, the English wo-l
man physician to the Amer OF Afghan
lStan, has a three-column letter in the
Times detailing a long conversati ton
which she has had with the Ameer on
the criticism aroused in England on his
campaign to subjugate Kafiristan. The
ameer contends that the Durand treaty
Of 1893, which gave Great Britain rights
over the Chitral district, also gave him
=
fully determined to stand by the treat
les, Regardless of the consequences.
The fears of possible Russian agrees
lon are the immediate motives for his
action. The Russians were within
few days Kafiristan, and could have oc-
cupied It easily, and thus would have
been within two days march of Cubal
and within gunshot of other vital posi-
tons in Afghanistan.
DR.. Hamilton warmly defends the
ameer a gainst the charge of wishing TO
extirpate or enslave the KafirS. She
says that, on the contrary. the ameeT,
recognizing their splendid fighting pow
eEs has tried to win their loyalty, SO as
TO have their assistance against Russian
invasion. The letter also gives interest
ing pen pictures Of the slavery question.
DIR. Hamilton thinks that no foreigner
ever had the entree into an Afghan
flarem, as She has had. and consequent
ly she is able to certify that no Kafirs
ara enslaved and that no tribe, in fact.
except the aTIZaras was ever reduced to
slavery by the Afghans.
Princess Maud of Wales. while riding
a bycicle on Regent street early in the
week on her way to visit her old nurse,
''skidded' and a policeman promptly
helped the princess into a handsome