New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-22
PLANNING THE SOUDAN WAR
ACTIVE PREPARATIONS IN CAIRO FOR
THE MARCH TO DONGOLA.

THE ITALIAN DEFEAT AT ADowA SAID 10 HAVE
GIVEN A I.oNG-pEsIRED OPPORTUNITY TO
rxcr.,SD-THE ADvANCE-GUARD Re
LIEvED TO BE AT AKA
sHgH ALREADY
London March 21.-A dispatch to The GLOBE
from Cairo says that the khedive ana Loro
Cromer the British diplomatic agent. are WORK
Ing together In perfect harmony In regard 10
everything connected with the Dongola expedi-
ton The Khedive delivers vigorous ana pa'ri-
otic speeches to all the departing troops
Last nights debate in the House of Commons
added rothing to the meagre Information "mch
the Government deems 1t prudent TO reveal re-
gardnr the expedition, which is to go to Don
COLA. and perhaps. further. in an attempt 10
reconouer the Soudar. The statement made by
1osanb Chamberlain. Secretary OF State for the
Colonies. that the advance Of the expedition
,a y, roeu,ated by the extent of the re-
s;storce offered by the Dervishes. seemed either
designed to befog the House or to convey the
,dea that the Government had no definite plan
of campaign.
What the Ministers refuse 10 disclose can be
found by collating the reports from TRUSTWORTHY
sources The sensational rumors Win ""c"
the British press Is unusually rfe dea' VIII"
the expedition as a sudden decision oil the "o'
arrr,.n, the fact that it was to be dispatched
,o,r, ,rknown even TO the Khedive. They de-
sc-,h. the forward movement Of the troops as
being already begun in bulk, and state 'na'
Akasheh has been occupied, that hgh''"s "
imminent and that Dongoa Will De reacneu ="
ueok when 10 900 Dervishes will face the
EGYPTIAN forces The facts are that the eAPe
Allan was projected last fall. when General
hA
was in England He then bought the materials
necessary to complete the railway from WauS
,talfa to Akasheh ordered a number OF hsh'-
,raught steamers built 20 carry stern-ire guns
,,d occurred the assent OF Lord SALISBURY l"
,ha nrenarations Though the date OF the cam
raiqn was not then hxed. General kitcheh''
-oade no secret of the fact that SOM Dig sc"ci''o
was being Matched
THE PLAN or CAMPAIGN
ooui,o AT bennington on Wednesday. Earl
Duss.u saii that ne had personal knowledge ti''
49,, oxnoaitIon had long been decided upon pu'
Tho, 4, had been postponed because IL WIS
,houpht inexpedlent This WAS the view TAX"
NJ the matter until the defeat OF the ''a"''7
n, Adowah afforded an opportrne excuse - wv
Government for the dispatch OF the eNp'u''','''
He added that according 70 the pan o''s'''''
decided upon @ ene.al Kitchsners MIST ooJ'''''
was to be Do1gola. and then berpe'' WIN
,,u,r,,araous advanc, from Suakim, on the Red
sea A railway was to be lriit to INK Do"Bo''
and Berber before march was ""Ho "p'''
thartoum There was no reason |, suppose INA
this plan had been altered. but IL WIS pr"o''''
that 1t would develop more SLOWLY Una" '''' -
the Cairo kilograms indicated
According to The Times Donsoa may pe
reached in three or four weeks The military
hnwey
10. ,,,ace will not be reached before June me
van OF the Egyptian troops consisting VI ''-
men OF which 500 are co11el-r'ders' oukn' " w,
cunv Akasheh by to-day. They are not 'NP'o',u
~ Iaat m. Dervishes there. They will remain
at Akasheh until. by reconnoiiring Trey isai"
the srergt of the Dervish OUTPOST. at All,
and are likely TO remain Until the Akasheh rai'-
u.av is completcd The main Egyptian force Is
now put at 900 men, OF whom i'VVo WIZ y,
Soudaneee who are real lighters. lhey VIII nos
reach the first line OF advance pc!orc uic gnu y.
Anr,l The march on Dcngola VIII depend upon
the strength Of the Dervishes VINO are cohcel'ia'
ing there. Doubtful reports place thelr huihpci
Coinnel Calmont who commanded the camel
| corps in the Khartoum expedition, says that
the troops ought not In the mean me 10 push
| forward beyond Akashen, ana tfa' IL II no"
Zoo late for a sprine campaign in the desert, even
| for black troops The Italian and Turkish mill
| tary attaches will accompany General kitchener
CONTINENTAL OPPOSITION WANING.
The postion Of the British Government is
% sier under official news from Paris that France
u,u either not oppose the first credit for $500 900
| from the Egyptian funds for the expenses OF the
| Soudan expedition or will conine her opposition
| IN a formal protest against the uce or the money
for this purpose Russia will remain strictly neu-
| trail and will give support to France against
| the expedition. Russia is even credited with
| viewing the British projects with some measure
of good will as being likely to divert the whole
L.
Russian interests are not likely to be greatly con-
| cerned NJ Berthelot. the French Minister OF
Foreign Affairs. clearly recognizes although 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
deht while Great Britain holds two votes, France
| two and Austria Italy and Germany one each
| difference OF opinion exists as to whether the
| etatutes relating TO the commission requires a
| unanimous or a majority vote. In several In
| s,ances decisions have been based on a majority
vote notably the grant OF $3.50 900 for the abolition
OF the corvee, at which time France protes,ea
| against the grant At any rate. NJ. Bcrthelot.
| feeling himself powerless 10 prevent the eHPeu'-
| ton, has beaten retreat
STRENGTH OF THE MAHDIsrs
| Tho vor Office officials here declare that the
oxnedition will be only a reconnaissance In force
and will not admit that the present phase is any
thing beyond nm Initial step in an autumn cam
naign The Army Intelligence Department pos
sesses only the most vague Information regard
ing the strength OF the Mahdists. Military ex-
perts distrust the estimates made by slatn
cantivitv among the Mnhdlsts should on the face
| Of things have made him an authority on the
| subject These experts consider that report
made by the Russian traveller. Eliseief. who was
recentIy elected q member ~ the Russian Geo
graphical Society. IL more trustworthy than that
| Of Slatin Pacha He says that the khalifa's
force numbers 40 900 men, including 10000 cavalry
| md camelry They possess 100000 rifles. OF which
20 900 are RemingtOns. really Mt for service. The
| artillery IL poor There are twenty guns at Don.
| COLA and five Krupp and ten siege guns at ON
durham.
a correspondent OF The Army and Navy
| Gazette" says that the Dervshes are now able