THE RUSSIAN DIFFICULTY.

Dunstan Times, Issue 1217, 26 June 1885, Page 3

THE RUSSIAN DIFFICULTY.

SIR PETER LtJMSDKN’S GRAVE CHARGES AGAINST GENERAL KOMAROFF, The following telegram was sent liy Lieut' na it Ge leral St fecer Lnrnsden to Earl Granville, and relates to the tijht lie tween the Russian and the Xfjhms at Ak Tepe.—Tirpni, vpril 17. Yen- lo Isiip’s telegram of 13 hj. Gen-nal Komar ITs ao count of a'tack on Reoj leh is eons, ler'd incorrect.:—LG ner 1 Komaroff savs : • On March 25 one detacbmoir. a -p o die I Ti-.li Renri on our hank of Kns'hk.” Reply : Taah Kepn is L'urki for Pul i-K dsti. General Roinaroff’s elaim to either ha k of Rnshk is untenable. The left bank of Knshk has always be m he.'l by Afghans, and was never in Russia i occnoa ion. On February 20 Russians locate I an outp t of twenty-five YuUtan Turko mans at Kidz Tepe, a mound one mile n» th of Pn i Khisti, and about sun- distance from n« r at point of Knshk River an I from its juno ion with Murgha •. This hid always remained extreme imit of Russian advance within their lin • of ve • ties. I’he Russian cavalry detachment a In le i t, > did advance against Pnl i-Kliisti on 25th, but retired before reaching that p'ace v hen wa ned oy Afghan C mmander. as on P 1 ruary 20 2. General Komar off states : “No r the bid Ige I found an entrenchment occupied hy Afghans.” Reply : This position was no cupied by Afghans previous to General Komamff’s advance an I to the agreed nt mentioned in your lo dship’s telegram of March 17. 3. General Korn iroff says : "In order to avoid a conflict. I placed my troops five versts from Afghan position.” Reply ; This can only refer to main b idy, as Russian troops were in Rizi - Tepe. which is one mile from Afghan position, and the Ru-sian vedettes were considerably in advance of tha r . 4. General Koraaroff says that “ When Afghans had convinced themselves that we had n i intention of a; tacking them, they began each .'ay to come nearer to our camp” Reply : So far as Af bans being convinced of General RimurolFs innocent intentions, the continue i and irritating daily attempts to • xoite hostility convinced Afghans of Russian determination to provoke conflict, mdi (luoed wnat appeared to them the military neo salty of ex*ending their defensive posi ion 5 General R-nna roff states : “On March 27 Afgha is sent against one company, which was charged with covering a reconnaissance, three companies with a cannrn and some c ivatry. ” R-ply: A reconnaissance in ford itself meant h'S'ile intention. A Russian company meant 250 men—m ire than equivale t to three Afghan companies aggregating 225 men. On 27tu two bodies of R issian troops simultaneously advanced. Colonel Alikhi noff with cavalry pushed past Pul i Kh.s- , and Russian iulantrv penetrated the right flank of Afghan iiosition on n ht bank of Murghab Colonel Aliknanoff only retired when intercepted by Afghan cavalry some four miles in rear of Afghan pod ion, and Russian infantry only when Afghan commander drew no three comoanies and warned Rns-ian officer that if he advanced further he w mid be fired upon. General KomarofFs chief .f staff, at interview of 29th, called Colonel Aliklian.dF- a'vanoe merely a pleasure trip, but was informed that the Afghan com nan ler view I it in a most serious light. 6. Gener I Rom ir-,ff states: “Afghan audacity and arrogance increased by degrees ” Reply : Itmav have been so ; but, it s •, it was -ntirely caused by Russian action, as the Afghans did ail they could to avoid col'ishm. and it was solely owing to th ir patience and forbearance during two months of incessant irritation that peace has been preserved -0 I nis. The Afghan commander’s courteous reply of 29th to General K iravofl’s ultimatum proves his wish to the last to avoid conflict 7. General Komarotf says: “On 28 hj Afghans oocupie I a height which commanded left 11 ink of unr camp ; began to throw up retrenchments ihere, lo establish a pod of cavalry behind our line, and placed a picket at gun-shot distance from our ford.” Reply : It was the case that the Afghan Commander did on 28h, after the ncenrreno ■ Of he hostile reconnaissance on 27th, place a post of observation on the hills on ri ;ht bank of Murghab to give notice of any like fresh Rnssim advance on that flank, but this post was withdrawn the next day. 8. General Komaroff says : “ On 29ili I s. Nt to Afghan Communler an energetic summons etc , and I received an answer that, by the advice of the Rnglisb, he refused to retire across the Knshk. ’ Reply : The fact itself is reported to me to he totally incorrect, and nowhere in ‘ha Afghan Commander’s reply is any such statement. On the contrary, the wording is distinct : “ I have duly received your letter regarding the withdrawal of certain pickets. As I bad received orders from the Governor of tlerat to Captain Yate, who has been deputed to ! Pc j deh by Sir Peter Lumsden on such matters, I showed him your letter. Cap tain Yate afterwards had an interview wi hj Colonel Zakrohevski, and infonnad me of the c 'Bversation which bad taken place i etwe n them. . Be it k own to ye that I must loyally obey the orders I have received THMH his Highness the Ameer. I can in ao

way do anything, country to the orders ot my Sovereign. O' c mrse, iu matters of I detail, such as alteration in position of I advanced pickets and ve lettes post in front i ot the troops, I am prepired to come to an ! ana’iganieut with a view to the avoidance of auv risk of conflict. ’ 9 General Coin i- ; roll a.ys : •* l ag m addressed a private let ter couohei in friendly term-.” Reply: The etter iu question was never -ecu by any officers of tha cq omission, but Captain Delashoe was told that a letter had lieen received a few hours before Russian attack on 30 hj I have now called on .Sepeh 8 dar for c -py of second letter 10. General Komaroff states : “ On 3 Ith, to support my demands. I marched with mv detachment against the Afghan position, counting still on pacific result, hut artille y fire and cavalry attack comnelled me to accept coins bat." Reply: *• Russians advance I to attack of Afghan position, and of course the Afghans were obliged to defend themselves. Certainly the engagement was not coin-meno-d by artillery tire as stated by General Komaroff, asinf entry firm ' was heard continuing several minutes before the first gun. - ■