, 1896-03-21
EGYPTIAN WAR TALK.
The British Campaign Up the
Nile,
NATIVES EAGER TO FIGHT
The Talk About the Deryishes Being
Able to Put 100000 Men In the
Field l.. Very Absurd-About
Half That.

New York, March 20.-A Herald spe-
cial from Cairo says: your cores
pendent called upon Lord Cromer, but
he declined to express any opinion as
to the situation. The assumption Is
that he knows very little OF the scope
OF the movement. 1t is known that the
order for the advance was a surprise
to him. With the experience gained
through WOlesley's dilatory. vacillat-
ing tactics in the kartoum campaign
before the British wal Office. it is prac-
tically certain that this expedition
will be called forward with sharpness
and precision, but it is not at all prob
able that a serious advance will be
made upon the very threshold of sum
mer. The Soudan and Egyptian
troops at Wady Halfa may be pushed
on to Akasher. while the English con-
tingent will concentrate at Wada
Halfa and organize for effective work.
When cooler weather sets in, early
in September, column from the Nile
n Suakim can make a combined ad-
vance on Ondurman, but the guardians
of Khalifa Abdulla know something
of British tactics. and may not wait
for the cooler weather program. Fully
5000 dervishes are reported afoot and
ready to fight. The massacres of It.
alians at Adowa filled them with war
like zeal and the fall of Kassala will
inf'ame them with fanaticism. They
may take the initiative and may fall
upon the advance column of the Nile
and crush it. even before the main
support can reach Massun.
While the natives are all disconso-
late at the prospect of wal the English
in Cairo are elated. Scores of young
men in civil places are striving for
permission to join the forces, and sew
eral English women have volunteered
for hospital service. The prospect of
fighting creates much enthusiasm
among the British. Mrs. Ccnstans
Knowles has issued an appeal to Eng
lishmen here on behalf of a fund for
% SpNNh iho"o VI lpiliilS.
Many serious minded observers pre-
dict that the attempt to carry out Eng
lands long matured policy in the Sou
dan will provoke an European war,
inaspuch as it will afford Russia and
France the pretext which they have
been yearning for. The war cores
pondents of the London press are rap
idly concentrating here.
The troops in Cairo are taken by rail
to Ghizeh where the Cook steamers re-
ceive and carry them to Assouan.
The North Staffordshire regiment
is booked to make the trip on the Goth.
Your correspondent had an inter-
view with Slatin Pasha. the
ion of General Gordon, who has had II
years of life and Imprisonment in the
Soudan and who holds the rank of
colonel in the Egyptian army. lie is
suffering from injuries received
through a recent fall from his horse.
He said:
Although | am still lame | shall 20
W 'he iioHt al once by reason or my
knowledge of the country and my in
formation as to the forces in the field
and to be brought into it and my abili-
ty to speak the dialects of the Soudan
region | ought to be able to render
good service.
Il think we shall have some fighting
inside of a week. Our troops today
made the first advance beyond Egyp-
tan territory. They are certain to
meet opposition. think we shall find
the enemy at least 1000 strong in
rifles, with 5000 spearmen and with an
irregular cavalry force of about 1000.
The best arms they have are the Rem
nigton rifles, and they are quite out
of date now.
The talk about the dervishes being
able to put 100. 900 fighting men in the
field is absurd. Not half tina number
OF fighting men can be mustered in the
whole region. They have some regi-
mental and brigade organization, but
discipline is lax and supplies always
ihdueQudte
"Osman Digna will probably be our
chief opponent. The dervishes will
not in this encounter have the fanatic
ism which the mahdi inspired in the
Gordon campaign. Besides he peo-
pie are much dissatisfied on accoun
of the oppression and misrule of their
government of late.
Il am quite familiar with all the
tribes that can be brought against US,
and we need have no fear as to the re-
suit of this expedition. Quite a num-
her of European military officers are
applying for permission to accompany
us. Sirdar, who is the nominal COM
mander Of the Egyptian army, will go
to the front on Tuesday. Much is ex-
pected Of the trained Soudanese regi-
ment. oficered by the British, but /
would not care to depend much on
Egyptian troops. such as l have seem