The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-02 00:00:00

EARL OBEY ON THE AFGHAN DIITIOULTY.

The Times of Wednesday publishes a long letter from Earl
Grey on the Afghan Difficulty, in the course of which he
observes that to enter into a war in which we have so much
to lose and nothing to gain would be the very height of hn-
policy, yet the objections to it on the score of impolicy is
far outweighed by that to which it is open for its injustice.
The following is an extract from Esrl Grey's letter :

"To invade Afghanistan, therefore, means either that we
are to make a mere raid into the country, of which the cost
will be very large in money and probably not small in blood,
while its results would be injurious to us instead of useful ;
or else that we are to hold the country in subjection by a
permanent military occupation. It is simply a delusion to
suppose that it will be possible to overturn the existing
Government of the Am eer and substitute another for it which
will be really more friendly to us, and yet able to stand by its
own strength without leaning upon our military support.
Of the two courses—of making a costly and fruitless raid
into Afghanistan, followed by the withdrawal of our Army,
or of adopting measures for the permanent military occu-
pation of the country—it is difficult to say which most
deserves to be condemned. The difficulties the French
had for many years to struggle with in maintaining
themselves in Algeria may give us some notion of those
we should have to encounter, of the sacrifices we
should have to make, and of the hazard we should
Incur, in trying to hold by a British force a large,
poor, and mountainous territory, inhabited by turbu-
lent and warlike tribes. The expense even of a mere
raid will be counted by millions, and the enterprise will
require a large increase of the number of British troops
in India—l believe it is considered by good judges that
10,000 soldiers more than we now have there would
scarcely be enough for the expedition and to provide
the force necessary for the safety of India during its
absence. The cost which would have to be incurred
could not possibly be thrown upon India, and the state
of our finances, with the distress generally prevailing in
the country, would make it a very serious matter for Eng-
land. Nor would this new and heavy demand upon our
Army, already unequal to supplying the amount of force we
ought to have promptly available in the present state of
Europe, be a less serious consideration. And if we are to
contemplate not merely a raid into Afghanistan, but its per-
manent occupation, we must be prepared to find that for
years to come these calls upon our pecuniary and military re-
sources will continue."

In concluding his letter, Earl Grey says :—" I trust there
is no danger that the nation will, without the sanction of
Parliament, be committed by the actual commencement of
hostilities to a war so impolitic, so costly, and, above all, so
unjust. Before so serious a step is taken the principles and
practice of our Constitution require that her Majesty should
be advised to summon her Parliament, in order to declare to it
the intentions of her Government, and to ask for its support,
and for the grant of sufficient money to meet the enormous
expenditure that will be incurred.'