Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-03-20
SITUATION AT KIlART0uM.
The khalifa Gathering His Followers
for Another Struggle.

Tho news that the kahlifa has rallied
MS followers and u marching north
with q great force against the sirdar's
outposts has made deep impression on
EngliHhmen. II leaves no doubt Of the
revival OF Mahdirm and II also shows
that Mahdism IL still a faith that can
make DervlHhcs rush fearlessly To their
death. There " no criticism detracting
from Lord kltchsncr'H achievements
IN the last Nile campaign. the people
see that his easy Victories are 10 be- by
no means followed by permanent peace.
Already the damage to British pres
tFc below khartoum must b. cnOr-
nous. The khaiifn has routed the
friendly tribes 10 the south. which from
prudence, not affection, have accepted
british Egyptian rule. The defeated
horder have largely gone 10 swell their
conduercrn' ranks. Thousands of W.T.
vcrcrn are following suit. Col. kitch-
cncr, the Sirdnr'H brother. who COM
mnndcd the furthcst British outpost Of
British Egyptians Numbering $500. IL
now reported TO be fastening north.
knowing that u reverse would be dis
ahtrous and would Inspire the Dcrvish-
~ again with the belief that their
Nhailfa IN inyinclblc. Many British
posts along the southern border Of
the reclaimed Snudnn may have 10 be
vacated In order a. concentrate an
army Of resistance ON the Nile. This
too. Will damage british prestige. Mon
who found nothing To justify optimism
In the present situation forcsee more
SERIOUS lighting In April. Mr. iiennctt
liurlsish. war correspondent In the last
campaign. describes the present Hltua-
ton a. foilowG:
"oycrthfoaB ut omdurman last Sep
iembcr ana driven to his native soil
near ~ Obcld, Khnlifa Abdullah. like
fnblcd pvrronagc. has recruited his
nNfUnIlh lHM Illf contact with NHW
When he escaped from the battlefield
with his son. shick ID Din. and Osmnr
Disna. u WIS known that he would ny
20 his own country and seek safety and
aid among his liagRafa klnsmcn. That
he has secured both now goes without
saying. Apparently his ignorant and
fnnaticnl klnsmcn have rallied once
more To- his standard ana the blacks OF
the SOudan, who are born fighters, have
also been attracted again into his SER
vice. either hy promise or free iooting
or regular pay II In likely TO farc M
with those friendly natives who accept
ell the victory ~ omdurmnn as con-
clunlye. The authorities. warned hy
Col. Kitchener, learned some time ago
that Ahdullnh had established himself
upon tho shores ~ the Hwampy lake 10
ahyrkclch, which u about midway be-
tween ~ uheid and the Nile In
anuthenHterly direction. To him must
ana HhplhH who dDspalrcd OF govern
ment pardon ur cared nnuEht for terms
~ any kind from Cairo or England.
The Wild lilrgnrn tribes OF the vast
region ~ kordnfan are not amcnnble 60
the arguments ana Influences that
sway ordinary civilized hcinga. II may
be- that hcraure the khniifa was a kinH-
man and their long-rccognlzod ruler.
Or that he dominated them with show
N force and wealth, IA has secured
their active adherence, The fact that
coi. Kitchener followed him up Ia aher-
kcleh and had a look vi the position.
hut finding II too strong ana tho Der
wishes too numerous, wisely declined TO
attack. ana returned back Ia the Niio,
las no doubt operated 90 draw the
Khaiifa away from his fastncas IN pur-
suit. OF course. Abduiluh would give
out the ncwa that the sir,iar aud his
army were fleeing from him VIZ 1ut
daring 10 fight and that would n''rnct
thousands eager 10 engage and destroy
the small force Of less than 1900 under
col. Kitchener.
"'rhe chief source Of danger viii
spring from The tShnlifn having Eot
hold ~ part N his immense treasures.
u was believed By Sir Slntin pnahn.
Neufeld nui others that Abdulinh had
vast stores ~ wealth hid away among
hts people. The same belief was cur
rent among the pHahns In Lower EFypt.
An Enrllfh officer ~ high rank declares
b" knows that "a sum OF over ten mill
llon sterling lies hidden somewhere IN
the Suud.tn, The I<hnlifa cNtOrtcd cv.
efy penny from the people while he
was n puwor Even the gold and sill
Yer coinage struck by the Mahdi was
lrhnsed, and the Khalifa's dollar ~
hl'-A was hut a piece OF relatively
worthless copper. Money II power,
oven W The heart of Africa, with cnsh
Ahdullnh can procure arms ana ans
muniuon On amy reasonable extent from
travelling caravans coming from tho
north or west. Slave dealers and un-
nctupulou7 traders push far aneld.
There " yet another rtorchouse or two
open % hin, During tho long period
of MnhdlHm, porviah gnrrisonA were
widely planted In kordofnn. and these
nave q fair proportion OF i,emlngtons
ana cannon sian In their hands. Again
70 T. not improbable that Abdullah may
Htll have some one In HIS train who
can uufacture Runpowdcr md cop-
prr cartridges. Percussion caps he can
easily have smuggled In"