THE BURMESE DIFFICULTY.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXXII, Issue 5345, 16 November 1885, Page 2

THE BURMESE DIFFICULTY.

A despatch from London, dated 15th October, says that the trouble between Burmah and the Government of India will probably lead to the annexation of the fohnet^.to India. The matter is seriously' discussed at the Indian office at date, and it is generally believed that a sufficient force will be sent to Mandalay to dispose of King Theebaw and annex the country in order to prevent future complir cations whenever the King wants to' raise money to give a great feast. Lord Salisbury declared on the 18th that, the French Government have disavowed the action of the French Consul in Burmah, and that the French had no designs there. Advices from Askabad say that the English engineers at Herat are preparing for the construction of a Railway at Candahar. ...,.--," Despatches of the 18th October say that Lord Salisbury had along conference with Mr Wad'dingtpn , ' : French! ( 'Minister; in reference to the complication between Burmah, France? and England. It is evident that King Theeisaw^is'-relyiiig on France for i assistance against England, but is mistaken. France offers no apposition to the British annexation of Upper Burmah, or to the establishment of a British protectorate over Mandalay, the capital of Burmah. English soldiers serving in the Indian army, whose time of service has.' expired, have been ordered to remain in India until the settlement of the Burmese dispute. The Indian Government's ultimatum to KingThee^aw demands that the British Envoy be given a fitting reception, and that all action against the Bombay Trading Company be suspendsd till he. has examined; the disputed points. In. the meantime a combined military and naval force numbering 10,000 men has been fitted out at Calcutta to ' proceed to Rangoon. Despatches of the 19th say .that Tzungok, half brother of Theebaw, who has for some time been residing at Calcutta, will go to Rangocn as British nominee to succeed the King unless the latter submits to England. . Despatches of the 28th from. Mandalay say that every available man has been summoned '-for service. The Burmese Ministers decided to stop the British Envoy with the Indian Government's ultimatum at the frontier. The Times advices are to the effect. that complete anarchy prevails in Burmah, : It is expected that the Dacoit tribes : will storm Mandalay. A very hostile feeling is shown 'in. Burmah towards all foreigners, and a general massacre is expected.. The Italian consul at Mandalay has been threatened with imprisonment. The authorities at Woolwich arsenal have been ordered to supply 10,000,000 rounds of cartridges and 10,000 rifles for the expedition to be sent against King Theebaw. Despatches from Calcutta on the 22nd October, say that the contingents of the Indian army are being rapidly'transported to Rangoon, where the expeditionary force is to be assembled for the invasion of Burmah. . The Burmese Government is actively preparing to resist the advance of British troops, and engineers are busily engaged in erecting earthworks, planting torpedoes, building fire rafts, loading hulks with stones and sinking them, and placing chains across the river to obstruct the navigation. On the 22nd October the Burmese Envoy at. Paris handed a note to Lord Lyons, in which he stated that he had sent a despatch to his Government advising that arbitration be accepted, and was certain they would be glad to restore friendly relations. The European "residents in Bnrmah, he said, were perfectly safe. The people of that country had no desire to be hostile to England. The Journaldes Desbats urges the French Government t^ protest rgainst the British annexation of Burmah.