The San Francisco call., 1897-09-19
EngIand's Military Ac-
tivity Causes Much
Comment.
Russia Suspected of Tamper-
ing With the Ameer of
Afgh aniStan.
Two Sides to the Cry of Famine
From Ireland-Msce eilaneous
London Gossip.
Copyrighted, 1897 by the Associated Press. !

LONDON, ENG, Sept. 49, = The fact
that no less than ten batteries of horse
and field artillery have been ordered to
embark for India during the months OF
September and October is much com.
mented upon in military circles. Under
ordinary circums stances the four batteries
now in India would have been relieved
this month. But these batteries have
been ordered to remain in India. and
therefore there will shortly be on the from
tier fourteen batteries of artillery-a full
complement for an army corps.
AS the British force now assem- bled Oh
the frontier is of ample strength to wipe
out all visible resistance, the only conclu-
sion that can be rea ched in relation to the
dispatch OF re-enforcemeEts for the artil.
lery is that the authorities are possessed
of information of serious character.
The information conveyed by the War
Office Monday last to the London COM
mercial agent OF the Ameer of Afghani-
stan, that no war material or machinery
for the manufacture thereof would be al
lowed to cross the frontier during the
present crisis, indicates that the British
Government has by no means entire con-
tidence in the Ameer's fidelity, and it is
limited that the Government has learned
that while protesting friendllness to Great
Britain he has been secretly preparing for
war.
Well-informed circles are also discuss
ing the story of secret correspondence be-
tween Russia and Afghanistan. which is
said to have fallen INTO the hands of the
British officials, and it is further init
mated that a widespread plot has been
discovered. The truth, or otherwise, of
these stories will develop hereafter, but
the fact remains that the large increase
in the strength of the British artillery in
India cannot be intended for use against
the AirldIs.
TIE extent of the distress threatening
Ireland seems to depend largely as to
through which party's eyes 1t is viewed.
The council of the National Federation
has decided that the country is on the
brink of a widespread calamity, and calls
upon Messrs. Dillon and Harrington 10
convoke Il meeting of the Irish mem bers
of Parliament for the purpose of re-
QUESTIONING Mr.. Balfour, the Government
leader in the Commons, TO call an autumn
session of Parliament to devise relief
measures and to pass bill reducing rents
in Ireland in proportion TO the loss in
Cured by the tenants owing to the whole
sale destruction of their crops.
On the OIueT manu-, lu6 OuDlin EApT6SS
says the cry of famine is only contlnua-
tion OF the party war cry which is raised
every year the Unionlsts are in office, and
adds: Judging from the past, we may
hope that much of the crops doomed to
destruction by the prophets of evil will be
rescued and that the general yield will be
much larger than expected"
The Daily Independent regards the sug
gestion that the Duchess of York will
shortly appeal for funds in behalf Of the
Irish who are threatened with famine as
being an insult and says: "If the country
was ten times as badly off as it is likely to
be it would resent any charitable appeal
to the English"
The Independent emphatically denies
that Ireland, as a whole, will suffer acute
distress.
Figures furnished in the report of the
inspector of inebrlate retreats show that
the effect OF legislative intervention to re-
form drunkards is still experimental and