Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-03-22
less to prevent the expedition. has beaten

less to prevent the expedition, has beaten
a retreat.
The war office officials here declare
that the expedition will be only recon-
noissance in force and will not admit
that the present phase is anything be-
yond an initial step in an autumn cam
paign. The army intelligence depart
ment possesses only the most vague in
formation regarding the strength of the
Mahdists. Military experts distrust the
estimates by Slatin Pasha, though as a
matter of fact his long captivity among
the Mahdists should. in the face of
things, have made him an authority on
the subject These consider that a re-
port made by the Russian traveller, Elise
ief. who was recently elected member
of the Russian geographical society, is
more reliable than that of Slatin Pasha.
He says that the Khaifas force numbers
40,800 men, including 10000 cavalry and
camelry They possess 100000 rifles, OF
which - 900 are Remingtons really fit for
service. The artillery is poor. There are
twenty guns at Dongola and five krupp
and ten Siege guns at Omdurman.
A correspondent of the Army and Ma
Wy Gazette states that the Dervishes are
now able to deliver a deadly rifle nre
They will combine European tactics with
the formidable onsets of cavalry and
spearmen in the old style. The corre-
spondent declares that the British tao
tics of forming squares and awaiting
the shock of battle will not do now In
fighting the Dervishes, and If they are
followed will result in rout and ruin.
The consenus of military opinion Is
that if a reconquest of the Soudan is
intended. picked force of British and
Indian troops 10000 strong will be neces-
sary. 1t is no wonder that the British
government is reticent regarding the de-
tails and ultimate aim of the expedition.
Even with a solid parliamentary ma
jority the cabinet does not dare in the
meantime to arouse the opinion of the
country on the enterprise, which is GER
tain to ultimately involve large expedi-
tions by the British treasury. Until par
lament rises in August, Lord Salisbury
will not disclose the game that the gov
ernment is playing.
The Belgian Congo Free state expedi-
tion, under the command of Baron
Dhanis, which will attack the Dervishes
on the upper Nile simultaneously with
the Anglo-Egyptian attack upon those
on the lower Nile Is an assured fact.
The French press denied that 1t was the
intention to dispatch such an expedition,
but a semi-official paper confirms the
statement by the United Press last Sat
urday that such an expedition had form
ed, and that with the consent of the Brit
ish colonial Office a number of HousSaS
had been recruited for it at Lagos. King
Leopold will shortly come to London to
conclude arrangements for the advance
of this expedition to the Nile
Baron Dhanis, with a strong force, is
now nearing Bahr- El-Gazeel He has
with him number of Maxim and Krupp
guns.
Paris and London financiers, who
were sounded by Spain on the issue of a
loan on the security of Cuban bonds is
sued in 1890, declined to enter the pro-
posed deal. The Spanish cabinet now
proposes to raise $24 600 900 by pawning
the bonds with the bank of Spain, the
bank of Barcelona and other provincial
banks, through which national sub
scription loan will be issued.