Omaha daily bee., 1897-02-13

lams and his stan at Kars on the capitula-
tlon OF that citadel. The new minister
Is the grandson OF the General Count Mura-
yief who so harshly suppressed the Polish
revolution in 1868, as governor general Of
Wilma aud Polish Lithuania. His father
vas for some time governor OF Kovno He
was born In 1896. and received his educa-
tion FIRST in the gymnasium at Poltava and
I afterward at Heidelberg In 1864 he entered
the service of the ministry for foreign al
fairs and received his first diplomatic APP
poirtment as secretary to the embassy in
| In Berlin. After two years he went in the
same capacity TO Stockholm, and thence In
! 1867 to Stuttgart. In 1869 he was again
sent TO Berlin aud second time in 1873, to
Stockholm In the following year he was ap
pointed secretary at The Hague, and in 1877
he was in Bulgaria as a delegate Of a society
for tending the sick and wounded. He again
went TO Paris in 1880, and In 1884 to Berlin
as councillor OF embassy. His appointment
as minister to Denmark took place in 1898.
II is stated that while acting as charge
d afaires in Berlin his dispatches on the de
cline and fall Of Bismarck showed remarka-
bic perspicacity.
An Arabic journal published in Vienna
gives what processes to be correct account
Of the Mahdis forces at Omdurman. Ac-
oording to this authority the army consists
OF between 10000 and $4,000 men. Only four
regiments, OF 1850 men each, are armed
with rifles of different patterns. while the
others have only lances made of poles with
bayonets fastened to the ends. The Khalifa
hopes, by joining his men to the garrison
OF Omdurman, to assemble an army OF 10000
before the English reach Berber. OF this
army, $4,000 are meant to take up their posi-
tion near Berber where the chief battle is
to be fought. The remaining $1,000 are to
occupy a camp to the west Of Omdurman to
defend that town. The Khalifa has already
sig lrnl 70. NaIrA nt,1 ,f
the troops near Berber. and he has accepted.
At Obdurman large quantities of corn and
durra have been warehoused but there is
lack OF ammunition for the large guns, of
which the Dervishes have a considerable
number. In the meantime. the Dervishes
have deserted the oases where the popua-
ton sympathZes with the English and where
they are in such a minority as to fear for
their lives.
NJ. Faure. the French president, is consd-
ering the possibility of returning the cars
visit. In the meantime the Russian court Is
very much exercised over the all-important
question of how he Is to be treated 1t seems
ridiculous to us that there should be any
doubt as to the president of France being
received the same as the sovereign of any
great and important nation. But court eti-
quette and rank are powerful factors in Rus
sla, and to accord the untitled French presi-
dent the full honor and precedence that
would be given him were he king Is
strongly against the will and wishes of In
Vulnerable Russian grand dukes and nobles
NJ. Faure certainly does not wish to humili-
ate France by being received in Russia as
a very welcome private person, and the doubt
as to his reception may result in his not
going at all.
London is to be fortified against possible
invasion by forces landing on the southern
coast. The plan of fort work dates as far
back the time of the Duke of Wellington
but has been revived by Lord Wolseley and
other military authorities and adapted to
the changes of modern warfare. The mill
tary works bill provides for the construction
OF a chain of fort works from the southern
Downs to the heights on the south of Lon
don, on which the Crystal Palace is a CON
spicuous object. The scheme includes bar.
racks and other military works. The cost
which will be something formidable for the
treasury to face. will be met by advances
from the consolidated fund to be repaid by
installments extending over twenty years
King Oscar Of Sweden may soon have home
troubles enough without sharing in those of
England and America. The Scandinavian
question, according to the latest information
is expected to assume an acute phase in the
autumn, when the elections will take place
The radical party of Norway at all recent
meetings has resolved that Norway must
have. entire independence of Sweden, and
If they carry the elections the union will be
declared dissolved. In that event Sweden
Will be forced to declare war II she wishes
to maintain the present union between the
two Scandinavian countries