THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3426, 21 September 1885, Page 3

THE SITUATION IN AFGHANISTAN.

!i In the House of Commons, on August 25th, c before the prorogation, Lord Churchill reply- j ins; to a question, said the duties of the | i Afghan Boundary Commission hod not yet been completed, and Government did not II intend to withdraw tho Commission, which . c aro doing useful work. The dispute with ' Russia about the Zulfikar Puss, the Secretary o said, was not trivial, but Government was not j t altogether without hopo to uvrivo ere long at a satisfactory settlement of tho points m s dispute. A despatch from St. Petersburg received ' y in Paris says Russia uuido proposals which I r England will likely accept meanwhile, o A despatch of August 10th from Simla says a 3000 men are employed on the defences '. there and also 12,000 troops. g Colonel Ridgcwuy's task was a difficult ono ' t owing to the proximity of tho Russians and c tho jealousy' existing among the Ameer's j s officials, as Russia is intriguing to create n. c party favorable to her policy, c Tiie St. Petersburg Herald of the 22nd '. says Russia, after a topographical survey of g the frontier, has decided to abandon her claim r to the Zulfikar Pass. A despatch received from Meshed, Persia, c at London on August 21st states a collision y between tho Russian and Afghan outposts , t nearly occurred on tho 13th at Ivaratape, 39 ; i- mill's from ChanaiH'abud. Some Russian , ■ troops who approached too near the post were j t detained by tho Afghans until they received c orders from Herat to let them go. A serious ;1 trouble nearly arose through a Russian officer j o being wounded accidentally by ono of his own , '. men. 1, Four English officers continuo to superil vise the work of repairing and strengthening n the forts of Herat. il According to a London despatch of August ). 12th Lord Salisbury and M. do Giers had a reached a definite agreement with regard to i- the frontier question. A proposal emg bodying that settlement was drafted and n sent to St. Petersburg, and its signature is if shortly expected. ii General McGregor has been appointed to the command of the forces. This is believed n to foreshadow tho formation of a separate i- command on tho whole of the Afghan frontier ir as recommended by the Indian Army Comis missioncr.