ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1534, 7 May 1885, Page 2

ADDITIONAL MAIL NEWS.

THE AFGHAN DIFFICULTY. London, April 12. The War Office ii overwhelmed with offers of service sent by army, militia and volunteer officers. The recruiting depots in London and the provinces ara daily besieged by men anxious to enter the service, in view of the prospect of war with Russia Suitable applicants are being accepted. The War Office is as ready for war now as if war were declared. Sir T. Brassoy said:—“We can place a great British fleet in the Baltic in four days. We can stud the sea with cruisers in 24 hours. We are ready here as they are.” Sir Thomas smacked his lips as if the prospect rather pleased them. Two men-of-war belonging to the Channel squadron, now at Kingston, Ireland, have been ordered to get ready as rapidly as they can at Portsmouth to take torpedoes on board. It is reported they will then proceed to the Baltic. AU Admirals of the British Navy have been notified to hold themselves in readiness for active service. A special injunction has been sent by the Admiralty to vice Admiral Lord Hay, commander of the British squadron in the Mediterranean, to hold himself and fleet ready for service

The London newspapers daily publish columns of opinions of the Continental press on the embroglio. A collection of scores of these opinions shows the following general facts:—The French papers unanimously ridicule England, and declare she has been out-generalled in the field, and outwitted in diplomacy. If she really goes to war, Frenchmen predict she will meet a crushing disaster. The German and Austrian papers generally discuss the situation in fair and dispassionate tones. Most of the Berlin papers believe that Bismarck will not be induced to attempt mediation. The beat informed of them expresses the opinion that the Chancellor will devote his energies to localising the war, and compelling Powers outside of England and Russia to keep their hands off.

The Tories are sounding a note of alarm as to the motives of the Indians in clamoring for war, and they warn Government against placing undue reliance upon either the native princes or troops. The St James’s Gazette expresses the opinion of many thoughtful observers in an editorial article, in which it s»ys; — “No Viceroy of India would, without dread, trust the fate of the Empire to the fidelity of native chiefs —would cease watching them, or would - employ their troops, when and where disaffection might turn the tide of battle ” The article concludes by saying ; “ The optimism which denies this is mere’y cowardice disguised. Preparations for war are continued with unabated vigor, and are no longer viewed as a display of force to avert war, but as preliminaries of an inevitable and desperate struggle. Various plans for striking Russia at vulnerable points outside the present field of hostilities are under

consideration. The theory is that if England and Russia are to fight, Russia must not be allowed to chose the battlefield. She has thus far forced hostilities on the Afghan frontier, which indicates that she is better prepared to fight there than elsewhere. A prompt attack by (England in almost anv other part of

Russia would, it is thought, prevent Russia from sending re-inforcements to Afghanistan even if it Aid not compel the withdrawal of troops from there to defend the new point of attack. One plan which is said to be seriously contemplated is to attack the Russian Provinces of Transcaucasia, on the east coast of the Black Sea. The base of operations for such a campaign would be Batoum, which is the principal port on the eastern coast, and the objective point would be Till is, the capital of Transcaucasia. The Russians are now drawing many of their reinforcements for Afghanistan from the Caucasian provinces, and it is argued that

a serious attack on the other aide of the

mountains would compel them to keep their Caucasian troops nearer home. In the event of such an enterprise being undertaken by England, the friendship of Turkey would he important. Transcaucasia adj >ins Turkish Armenia, and if Turkey were hostile England would find her troops wedged in between two enemies. The friendship of Turkey is also of vast importance to either of the combatants on account of her control of the Dardanelles. Control was guaranteed her by the Treaty of Berlin, and solemnly agreed to by both England and Russia. By this means Turkey could prevent England from getting into or Russia from getting out of the Black Sea. Bawal Pindx, April 10. The news of the battle between the Russians and the Afghans was received by the Ameer quietly. He has I >ng been confident that Hussia means to advance to Herat.

A hundred tons of supplies are going through th§ Bolan Pass daily, and orders have been given to increase the supplies to two hundred tons daily. Oandahar, April 10.

The Turcomans have distributed proclamations through the frontier towns of Afghanistan, urging the inhabitants to form an alliance with Russia.

RUSSIA’S DEFENSIVE PREPARA no NS.

Russia continues her naval and military preparations with great speed. Admiral Sheshakoff has ordered all torpedo boats to be sent to the Baltic and Black Sea.

Croustadt, St Petersburg, and the Palace at Kaaanvelso are now connected by telephone, so that the Czar will be informed of every movement in case of attack by the English fleet. The Russian fleet has been in a thorough state of readiness since April 2. Komaroff’s brother, editor of the Russian journal Svet, announces that Russia

intends to send 100,000 men to Herat as soon as the English advance to Pisheen. Advices from Odessa state that there is great military activity in that city. This is manifested not qnly by the garrison, but also by other troops stationed theie

News has been received from Odessa bv way of Vienna that transports on the Black Sea era busily engaged in the work of carrying troopa and munitions of war for Sebastopol, Nicolaiev, Bat um, and Batolo. Extensive works are being constructed for the defence of Batoum and Nicolaiev. The new wor*s of defence at Sebastopol have been for the present suspended.

Numerous battalions of Cossacks are reviewed every daj at Odessa. The garrison at Kertch is engaged night and day hastening the completion of works at that port, and flour mills are worked at their fullest capacity in preparation of provisions.

Russia is fully alive to the importance of the control of the Dardanelles, and threatens to propose at the next session of the Suez Canal Commission that the regulations proposed for the neutrality 0* the Suez Canal shall ajso be made to apply to the Dardanelles,

Philadelphia, April 12, Ap order for six fast iron cruisers of the Esmeralda pattern was recoiled in this city on Thursday. Thesp ye sels are nomina ly ordered by private gentlemen, just as they might order steam yachts, but they will be for sale when completed, aud offers of only one European Government will be entertained. It is thought that the features insisted on will be 19 knots speed ; coal carrying capacity for 25 days’ steaming; and buoyancy for three stea -rifled cannon of large calibre. The Fsmeralda is regarded by the prospective owners of these vessels as the highest type of war vessel afloat. She was built

for Chili in England by W. Armstrong, and launched in 1824 Her engines, boilers and magazines are protected by a steel deck one inch thick. She carries |two 25-ton breech-loading guns, one as a bow-chaser and the other as a stern-chaser, and has six 4 ton guns on the broadsides, besides machine guns. Her engine-power is very great in proportion to her displacement, which is 3,000 tons. She carries a very large coal supply, and will steam from to 18 knots an hour. TREATY WITH THE AMEER. Earl Dufferin obtained from the Ameer a formal treaty recognising the right of England to lay out and fortify the northwestern frontier of Afghanistan. AMERICAN SHIPPING. From New York—Norway, sailed (March 9 for Wellington and Auckland. For Wellington, 3,701 cases kerosene ; for Auckland, 3,650. Benguela, sailed March 12 for Dunedin and Lyttelton. Fop Dunedin, 1,300 cases; f'-r Lyttelton, 1,250 cases. Vessels loading at New York—-For Wellington and Auckland, Katahdin, probably clear April 15 ; for Dunedin and Lyttelton, Lady Dufferin, probably clear May 2. Freight, current rates, New Zealand, 37s CJ per ton.