ENGLAND AND RUSSIA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7301, 13 April 1885, Page 5

ENGLAND AND RUSSIA.

GENERAL - KOMAROFF ASKED TO EXPLAIN. ' •'••: [beoter'u telegram.] ' .:'".. .: London, April 10. Ik the House of Commons to-day Mr. Gladstone stated, in reply, to a question, that General Komaroff had been requested by the Russian Government to furnish an explanation of his conduct in attacking the Afghan troops. [SPKOr/U. 10 fJIESS ASSOCIATION.] -'■■; ■ London, April 9. Information hsis been received that immediately on the receipt of the news of the conflict between the Russians and Afghans, the Ozar of Russia wired to General Komaroff, demanding an explanation. The Ameer of Afghanistan was much distressed on hearing of the engagement against his troops. (Received April 13,1.10 a.m.] GENERAL KOMAROFF'S REPLY. London, April 12., It is not expected that the reply of General Komaroff to the demand of the Russian Government for an explanation of hie attack on the Afghan troops will be received for fully a fortnight. [Received April 12, 5.30 p.m.] THE PRESS AND PUBLIC. OF ENGLAND. London, April 11. The European Press generally condemns the action taken by General Komareff. The English Press and the public demand that that officer should be recalled, and they consider that Russia ie now only trifling with a view to gaining more lime. THE PANIO SUBSIDING. London, April 10. The panic which prevailed for some time on account of the threatening aspect of foreign affairs has now in a great measure subsided, and business matters have resumed their usual course. [special to pbbss association.] [Received April 12, 5.30 p.m.] PREPARATIONS FOR WAR. London, April 11. It is mentioned that England could have ready for embarkation, should hostilities with Russia occur, 20,000 m men at two ' day si'notice. The patriotic fund of the Bengal natives has amounted to 70 lacs of rupees (£840,000). THE EUSSIANCEUISEES. [REUTERS telkgbam.] [Received April 11, 3.40 p.m.] Melbourne, April 11. The Victorian Government having made enquiries as to the alleged presence of Russian war vessels at the Cape, Sir Hercules Robinson, Governor of the Cape Colony, telegraphs in reply that six men of war belonging to Russia left Cape Town at the end of February, their ostensible destination beiug Europe and India. [Received April 13,1.40 a.m.] • AYOUB KHAN. London, April 12. Intelligence to the effect that Ayoub Khan, late Ameer of Afghanistan, has attempted to escape from custody, and has been conveyed to, the citadel of Teheran has been received WAR RISKS ON SHIPPING. London, April 11. Lloyd's Australian war risks have in" creased five shillings per cent. [Received April 13, 1.43 «.m.] . Melbourne, April 12. The Merchants Shipping and Underwriters' Association has announced the following scale of war risks to be charged lor insuring vessels between England and Australasian colonies:— Outward steamers, £ per cent; sailing vessels, £. per cent. Homeward steamere, % per cent.; sailing vessels, £ per cent. THE DEFENCE OF THE COLONY. [BY telegraph.-—own CORRESPONDENT]. Wellington, Saturday. His Excellency had an interview this afternoon with Sir' Julius Vogel. The Ministers in town also waited on Sir Julius Vogel. Nothing definite has transpired as to the result of these interviews.

I understand that communications have been addressed to the members of the Cabinet at preaeni; absent from Wellington. No decisive action, can be taken until another Executive Council shall have been held. I have heard th»t Sir J. Vogel has expressed a wish that Ministers absent from Wellington on public business should retain to Wellington with as little delay as possible.

Lieutenant Douglas, R.h., the newlyappointed naval staff officer, has been occupied with the inojieotioa of the defence works in Wellington. He has prepared a report whioh was forwarded to His Excellency the Governor this morning. This report is of a confidential character," and no particulars of its nature can ba ascertained. The Government themselves have not eeen it, being merely the medium of its conveyance to the Governor under soal. Two sergeants and four constables of the Armed Constabulary in Wellington are busily engaged ira compiling the militia roll. When the militia roll is complete, I understand that it is the intention of the Government to call for a company of volunteers for artillery practice. I presume that this applies to other ports as well as Wellington. Application han been made to the Union Steamship Company by the admiral in charge of the Australian Station to etato upon what terms they would charter one or more of their steamers to be equipped and armed for the patrol of Australian seas, should the neoesiiity arise. The Victorian Government have offered to purchase the s.s. Rotomahana. I believe it is the intention of the Government, should they obtain cruisers from the Admiralty, to employ one before each town situated opposite i»n open roadstead, such as Taranaki, Oamaru, and Napier. This is the secondary line of defence of whioh the Defence Minister spoke in an interview I had with him, the particulars of which I have already telegraphed to you. A movement hits been set on foot here to form volunteer companies for the performance of garrison duty, should such assistance be desired in the event of war breaking out. I learn again to-day that in the event of the commencement of hostilities between England and Russia Parliament will be called together immediately. I have beard chat despatches are being forwarded by His Excellency by this mail to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, in which a full account is given of the defenee operations undertaken by the New Zealand Government.

Although there is very general excitement in this city in consequence of the grave nature of tha intelligence from Europe, there is no real uneasiness or apprehension. The telegram received to-day from Sir Hercules Robinson, Governor of the Cape of Good Hope, to the effect that six Russian men-of-war had loft Capetown at the end of February, was regarded as having some bearing upon the present crisis. The fact, however, that New Zealand securities re* main at last quotations is taken as an assurance that the credit of the colony is not menaced in any way. Report speaks favourably of the high spirit animating those engaged in the defence works.

[BT TBXKeBA*H.— TKXSS ASSOCIATION.] Dunkdin, Sunday. Large accessions have been made to the rank, of the volunteere during the past day or two, and an "Otago trained band u proposed to be formed of men who have been members of any disciplined force. Chbistohukch, Sunday. The Minuter for Defence has accepted the services o£ a mounted infantry corps for ChristchuTch and Lyttelton. INDIAN VIEWS OP TEE SITUATION. From oar files of Indian papers, we take the following extracts, wliich indicate the views of the Indian press as to the .Afghan difficulty and its probable developments. The latest date of the JBtombfty papers is March 6, before which news had reached them cf the statement of Lord Granville in the House of Lords as to the recent advance of the J&ustians towards the Afghan border, in consequence of which Sir Peter Lumsden, the British Commissioner for the ratification of the Russo-Afghan frontier,, had advised the Afghan authorities to forcibly resist any further advance towards their frontier, and his action had been approved of by Lord Granville: — The Times of|lndia of March (> says :—"lf Russia thinks that our hands are tied by the Soudan difficulties, it is as well Eihe should be undeceived at once. At home I;his has been done by the formal inspection laiit Monday of all troops available for service, and by the addition ot 15,000 men to the British army; and in India we shall in another month have an army of 16,000 men and 54 guns massed on our frontier ready noli only to convince the Ameer of the sincerity of our desire to befriend him against Russian encroachment but to march to Herat at a moment's notice if the Russians continue to Ignore our diplomatic remonstrances. The firmness now being displayed will in all probability oauae Russia to abandon her forward policy, at all events for the time, and perhaps to disown the overzeal of her frontier officer;). But it is to be regretted that here again the British Government have exhibited their usual indecision up to the very last available moment, when the nation have virtually taken matters into their own hands, and declared that we shall no longer play a humiliating parb in the Afghan business. Our commisuion was distinctly invited by Russia to visit the Afghan frontier and assist Russia in demarcating a new frontier line. Our commission, coming from England and from India, arrived duly at the tryeting spot, and. met with the insulting message that the Russians, though only a few miles away, are not residy. Friendly negotiations are still continued, and pending the amicable settlement of a frontier by the two nations, the Russians seize all the debatable territory, and for two or three months England looks quietly on. We have never been so insulted by a great Power in all our national existence since the Dutch were in the Medway. The insult, however, has stung all parties into action, and we are replying in the only possible way by assembling a frontier army. When Eusaia learns chat within a month the Ameer will not only be bound to us by a formal treaty, but supported by a fully equipped army of 16,000 troops from India, she will, we venture to think, be anxious to postpone hor designs upon Abdurrahman's territory., Great satisfaction will, we have no doubt, be felt in India at the determined action of the Government both here and at home, with regard to the Afghan frontier. The key-note to this new and determined policy wa3 struck by Lord Granville in the House of Lords on Tuesday evening. The Russians had declined to withdraw from the position they have suddenly acquired while negotiations were pending, that is, one post 30 miles south of Pul-i-Khatun on the east, and another post within two miles of Penjdeh on the north. Sir Peter Lumsden had consequently advised the Afghans to resist any further advance on the part of the Russians, and the British Government expressed their approval of this very grave and serious step. Had this policy been adopted sooner the Russians would never have been at Sarakhs. Unless they deliberately wish to provoke a conflict, they will suspend their advance, and trust to the wiles of Russian diplomacy to establish them in the positions already seized. We cannot suppose that they are anxious for an actual conflict with England at present. Eventually, no doubt, they will make a formidable rush on Herat, but we do not believe that they will risk this until they are prepared to make a simultaneous rash on Constantinople, which is the real motive of their approach to the Afghan frontier. They wish to be able to engross our attention and bind our hands when the hour strikes for another Turkish war. But the hoar has certainly not struck yet. There is, we are glad to see, no doubt in the mind of the Government as to our responsibility in. preserving the integrity of Afghanistan from foreign aggression. Time after tiime Abdulrahman has been assured that England will assist him with moral and material support against unprovoked aggression, and the moment has, we think, arrived when these formal assurances should be embodied in » treaty, the terms of which should be published to all the world, to Russians as to olshers. The Afghan garrison at Herat is said to be a strong one, and if we can only convince the Afghans that we are in earnest, and that we will carry out our share of the treaty, they will see that their interests are identical with ours. At Pul-i-Khatun, to say nothing of the posts beyond it, the Russians are almost as awkwardly situated as Lord Wolseley is at Korti. They will pause before plaoing themselves in an extremely critical poiiition if they, too, can be led to believe that England has at last assumed a definite policy as to the integrity of Afghanistan." The Lahore correspondent of the same journal, writing on February 25, said:— " If the Afghans and Russians oome to blows, the native opinion here is that the only ohance of Sir Peter Lumtiden and his party escaping unmolested will be by an early retreat into Persian territory, as the tribesmen, who will, of course, be acting under the influence of the molah.s, will regard the English and Russians, both as Foringhis, and, as snoh, their natural! enemies. According to the latest: frontier reports, the Ameer is still at variance with his chiefs as to his foreign policy, while Russian emissaries and agents in Cabal are more numerous than ever. The kafillas returning to Cabul are carrying back a large supply of firerams and perousaioD caps, for which there is said to be an nnusual demand in Afghanistan, the result of the general feeling of apprehension whioh prevails throughout the country that troublous times are at hand."

The Lahore Tribune, commenting on the position of affairs, laid :—" It may be readily admitted that a Russian army advancing into India will be accompanied by hordes from Afghanistan and Turkestan. But the English Government :iu Icdia has alao boundless resource! clone at hand. There are many fighting and warlike races in this country from which recruits can bo had in any number. It is quite a mistake to think that, in the event of the advance of a Russian army there will be something like a general riling in India. There is no reason whatever to apprehend this result. The experience of the Mutiny is a oemplete answer to thii. Neither the princes nor the people of India joined the rebels during the Mutiny. On the contrary, they did their best tchhelp the British Government."