The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-05-02 00:00:00

ENGLAND, RUSSIA, AND
AFGHANISTAN.

The close of last week was characterised by
apparent efforts for the prevention of hostilities both
by Russia and England, although a correspondent of
the Daily Telegraph, dating St. Petersburg, Sunday,
wrote: In military circles here the war fever reigns
supreme, and is likely to carry all before it. At the
leading military club in St. Petersburg I was informed
by a high military authority that a policy of no sur-
render had been unanimously resolved upon at the
recent sitting of the Imperial Council at which the
Czar presided. The members of the Cabinet were of
opinion that in view of the provocative and consis-
tently hostile attitude which England had main-
tained towards Russia for the :past decade the time
had arrived when an energetic solution of the diffi-
culty was absolutely indispensable. "It was deter-
mined at the Council," continued my informant,
"that the maximum concession on the part of Russia
would be the withdrawal of her troops from the
Zulfikar pass, but that Penjdeh, together with both
banks of the Koushk and Murghab, would remain
in the possession of Russia. The Russian Govern-
ment had already resolved upon their plan of cam-
paign, and the appearance of the first British ear
vessel in the Sound would be the signal for General
Komaroff to occupy Penjdeh and to storm Herat."
There can be no doubt that Russia is taking every
possible precaution and making every possible effort
in view of war, and as my informant, from his high
position, would be one of the first to be conselted by
the Government in that contingency, I have the most
perfect faith in the truth and importance of his
statements. I understand that General von Virerder
has been negotiating in Berlin to obtain from the
Chancellor an assurance that in the event of war
being declared between England and Russia the
Baltic should be declared mare clausum. The tele-
graph line is being rapidly constructed from Askha-
bad to the Russian camp at Dash Kepri. Orders
have been issued directing the immediate mobilisation
of the Moscow Corps of Grenadiers, numbering some
20,000 men.
On the other hand the correspondent of the Times
writing under the same date said: It appears that
on Friday last a fresh and almost final set of propo-
sitions were made by the British Cabinet through 31.
de Steal in London. In all probability they are by
this time before M. de Giers in St. Petersburg.
Among other things I learn that England has pro-
posed to submit the Penjdeh incident to arbitration.
There is no other way of securing a peaceful issue out
of the difficulty as long as both Governments stand
by the contradictory reports of their military repre-
resentatives. Russia, it seems, is not likely this time
to disavow her Generals in Central Asia. Affairs
all round are too much in her favour, and England
will, of course, hold by the opinion of Sir P. Lumsden.
To reconcile the two, as I pointed out nearly a
fortnight ago, will be impossible. Therefore, if war
is still to be avoided, or what is worse, a humiliating
admission of all Russia's claims, arbitration is the
only remedy. The whole attention of both sides
has been lately concentrated on the unfortunate
incident on the Kushk, disregarding altogether
the main object of actually delimiting a frontier. The
Russian Government, as the Journal de St. Petershourg
intimated, evidently wished England to return to the
frontier negotiation proper, treating the Penjdeh
incident as an fait accompli, but the British Cabinet,
in view of its obligations towards the Afghans, insists
upon having this incident disposed of now. In view
of the friendly relations between the reigning houses
of Russia and Germany, it is thought that possibly.
Kaiser Wilhelm would be the most acceptable arbi-
trator to the Czar if the Russian Government con-
sented to refer the question of right or wrong in the
matter to a friendly Power, and the German Govern-
ment agreed to undertake the tas,k. In any case, who-
ever be the umpire, his decision would perhaps avert
a terrible war, and, even if his ruling were in favour of
Russia, it would at least save all we may now expect to
save without a clearer and firmer policy, and that is
appearances. lam precluded from giving the latest
propositions as a whole, but there is no doubt that
they are of the most equitable and reasonable kind,
and if Russia rejects them she will show that she
does not wish to avoid a war, and the situation will
then reach its most critical point. The determined
efforts of Mr. Gladstone to arrange matters peace-
ably, regardless of public opinion and in spite even of
the fact that Russia meanwhile is continually seizing
upon advantageous positions against us towards
Herat, must be evident enough to the Russian
Government. The only fear is that this kind of
policy
lic has so confirmed Russia in confidence in her
position that the answer now awaited from the
Russian Foreign Office will not perhaps show the
same anxious desire to compromise the difficulty.