The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-22
The EXPEDITION TO DONGOLA
Vas Projected Last autumn and DelsITtO
Until a NOle OppOTtuns Tine.
EUROPEAN VEINS OF The HOVEEEKY.
France VIII Probably Content Herself
with Formal Protcst-strength oil
tbe Nahdists-Wss Mary, Queen
of scots, "A Martyr?

- I'M tbr House of Commons added
,othin- 10 the mcasrc Information thal
~ f.otornuacut deems 10 prudent 10 reveal
,,s.rIfr.. The expedition that is TO 30 10
DoreuIa aud fpcrnaps further IN an at
t,mpt To- rcconqucr thc Soudan. Inc
statement made by III. lion. Joae4"
gI.trrIrr.alu. Secretary Of state Tor the
c..orIf. that the advance Of the eNpc-
lI.ou v...i Doe regulated by the extent
f tI.a resistance offered by the Der
,..h.s sarmfl either designed 10
ntf0r fne House or 10 convey the ldta
t'af fhe Government ha4 no oehhl'e
rI.u of campaign. &c.,.
abal .h. Minister refused 10 disclose
can bo found Oy collating inc lepoi lS
from reliable sources. inc sens .i'i'a-
rlmors w.th whila The Brush press %
usually ule deal with the eApcai'io" az
IL .nllen decision of the Government t'c
go fsat h was 10 bee dispatched being
,.rlro,,n. even to the Kncdve. They
,.-.rl0e the forward movement OF the
frorre al being already commenced IL
bul.. and state that Akasheh mas been
occuplDd. tlat lighting is imminent, ana
tlu DMgOla will be- reached IN a week.
when 10000 DerlishCs will lace the ESyp~
tian forces.
PROTECTED LAST AUTUMN.
Tile facts are that the expedition was
nroiected last autumn when 1eheIai
Kitchener. the SiIdar OF the Esypla4
army was in England. He then Doushl
the materials necessary 10 complete 'he
Nadv Haifa 20 Akasheh. ordered mum
her pf Hent-draught steamers built 10
,srr,. sferr-fre guns. and got the assent
of Lord Salisbury 20 the preparations.
Though the date Of the campaign was not
thru fixed. General Kitchener MADE no
sa.rrf OF the fact that some big scheme
was being hatched.
Speaking at Leeinineton wednesday,
Earl Russell stated that he had personal
lnowIedre That the expedition hao long
been decided upon. but that IL hau oteh
postponed because IL was thousht mex
re1frnt Thit was the view taken OF
the matter until the defeat OF the liaiidils
af Adowah afforded the Government an
oiNDortune excgsc for the dispatch OF the
exnediHon. lie added. that according
fo tho plan originally decided upon, Cen
eral Kftchener's first objective point was 'o
he poneola and then Berber, with SIM
ultaneous advance from Suaklm' on 'ne
Red sea. a railway was 20 be bullt 70
link Dongola and Berber before a maich
was made upon Khartoom. Ihele wa
10 reason TO suppose that TINS piah hdu
oeen altered. but 10 was propaole .n"1
IL would develop more Slowly thah sVii'
MOVEMENTS OF MILITARY.
According TO the Times, Dongola may may
he reached in three or four weeks ln'
military authorities at CAIRO, ho""Nei'
csI~ulate that that place will not pe
--,rl,c1 hofore June The van or the
l,rvntian troops, consisting OF l.-VJ men,
IN ahich 300 are cavalry ought 10 occupy
tt.ettr rv to-day. They are not eA-
re~fed 10 get I'm touch with the Der
sdshes there. They will remain al AKA
.bcb untn bv reconnoirNlng they learn
tho strength of the DerVishes po,.u
af Firka. and are likely TO remain u'''i'
the Akasheh railway Is coihplol." ,,,
rbe main Egyptian force is now pu,,
80, tbousaud men, Of whom 4Wp Will
la eoudancse. who are real A6nleis
,rhev viii not reach the first line OF ae-
-, before the end Of Aprh. Inc
- tnon Dong0la will depend upon
.r. efr.ncth Of the Dervishes VINO are
Concentrating there. Doubuul reports
,fs,o fhrir number at lpW"
colonel Calmont, who commanoeu .he
camel corps in the khartoum eNpeui ioi,
Save chad the troops ought rot, III 'he
.,,,.,tir,. 40 push forward beyond
alarraA. and that it Is now too late LOT
+, enrlng campaign IN the desert even
49,, iiack troops The Italian and turkish
military alta ,hes will accompany General
Kitchener. .-,-.,,..,
EUROPEAN VIEWS.
The r0sitlOn Of the British Government
is easier Under official news from farls
that France VIII either not oppose inc
arst credit Tor 10000 pounds from the
Egyptian funds for the expenses Of the
souoan expedition or Will conilne her op-
position 20 "a formal protest against the
use of money for this purpose. Russia
will remain strictly neutral. and Will give
no support 10 France as against the eN-
petition. Russia is even credited Win
viewing the British projects with some
measure of good VIII as being likely TO
divert The whole energies Of Great Britain
in direction where Russian interests
are no. lkelv 10 Dee greatly concerned.
ST. BcrthlOt the French minister Of
Foreign Affairs. clearly recognizes. though
the French people do not. that France is
poworless TO make an effective oppOsi-
ton. Russia has no vote in the COM
mission of The Egyptian public debt while
Great Britain holds two votes. France
two and Austria, Italy and Germany one
each a difference Of opinion exists as
10 whether the statutes relating TO the
commission requires a unanimous OF a
majority vote. In several instances de-
cisions have been based on q majority
vote. notably the grant Of 25.0O0 pounds
Tor tho abolition Of the C0rvoe al which
time France protested aeaiusi the grant.
AZ amy rate, NJ. Berthelot. feeling him
self poweiless 20 prevent the expedition.
las beaten "a retreat.
MAHDlsIs STRENGTH
Tho War Office officials here declare that
the expedition will be- only a reconnois-
sancc in force. and viii not admit that the
present phase is anythln. beyond an inl-
tal s'cp ln am autumn campaign.
The army intelligence department Dos
so SECS only the most vague informafiop
regarding The strength OF the Mahdists.
Military experts disirust tho estimates
made fv Slain pasha though as a mat
ter of tact. his long captivity among the
MahlHts should ON the fact 0f things.
have made him an authority on the sub
ltot. These experts cons Ter that a re-
port made by the Russian traveller.
L.iseiei. VINO was recently elected a mem
az ihe Russian Geographical Society.
]. more reliable than that OF Slatin PasEa.
lie says ilat the khaiifas force num-
n'fs 'NNN men. including i0C00 cavalry
ana taWt's They possess 600 rifles.
OF winch N.Uo are Rcmingtons. really NJ
10Y service. Ine artillery IS poor Tnere
an twenty funs az DOncola and five
hrlpp and ten siege guns az Omdurman.
A correspondent of the Army and Navy
states The DerYishcs are now able 10 de-
liver deadly rifle fire. Thcy viii combine
European tactics with the formidable on.
sets Of cavalry aud spsarmen In the
old style THO cor\ ,pondcnt declarcs
that the British tactics OF forming squares
and awaiting the shock of battle viii not
DO now In fighting the Dervishes and II
they are followed viii result ia routs and