The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-07-03

Russia and Khiva-The Commercial
and Military Limo OF tho Oxus.
A despatch from London informs us that
since the fall of Khiva the government of
Russia has renewed its assurances that its
troops win be Withdrawn from the country
when the Khan has been sufficiently punished
for his barbarous treatment of Russian sub
jects. Assuming that this information is cor
rect, these assurances are intended to, allay
the approximations of England touching the
designs of Russia underlying this conquest of
Khiva. It gives to Russia lin connection
with previous military occupations in those
regions) absolute control over the whole of
that vast section of Central Asia known as
Turkestan or Independent Tsrtary, the area
of which is seven hundred and ninety-two
thousand square miles, or equal to about sew
enteen times the area of the State of New
York. All this vast country is now absolutely
at the mercy of Russia, including the khan
ates or kingdoms of Bokhara, Koondooz
Khokand and Khiva, and the Kirgheez steppes
or deserts, bordering on and partly occupied
by Russia. Her authority is thus extended to
the western frontier of the Chinese Empire
to the northwestern mountain barriers of
British India and to the eastern flank of
Persia.
But to what purpose can Russia devote this
absolute power she possesses over Turkestan?
It is country of sandy wastes, Astounding in
salt and bitter lakes, but generally destitute
of arabic soil and running streams. The CHI
mate is one of fierce alterations, intensely hot
in Summer and extremely cold in Winter. 1t
has no forests except in the lower ranges Of
the mountains, and but little wood of any
kind. But it has some very fertile Valleys
which are described each as an earthly par
adise in contrast with the frightful deserts
on every side surrounding it. Upon the
whole, however, Turkestan is pronounced by
geographers as one of the most uninviting and
forbidding countries in the world, and one
into which modern travellers have scarcely
penetrated. h'" % '-'
To what practical purpose, then, can Russia
turn her absolute power over this vast region
of deserts and desert barbariansp We may an
swer that the primary object of the Russian
government in these military operations in
Turkestan was the punishment Of its bar
barians for outrages upon Russian subjects,
travellers and traders, and the coercion
of the semi-barbarous khans to the usages
Of civilized life. This object is now
achieved with the occupation of Khiva. An
other design was the opening Of certain great
channels of trade, and this purpose is now
substantially gained in the conquest of Khiva,
which gives to Russia the possession Of the
important commercial and military line of the
Oxus or Amoo River from Lake Aral to the
foot hills of the great mountain range of the
Hindoo Koosh
By following the line of the Sir Daria from
its mouth at the northern end of Lake Aral,
Russia has the trade and the water Of that
river for a railway to Kashgar that great depot
of the traffic of Western China, while by the
line Of the Oxus, for thousand miles from the
south end Of Lake Aral, she can carry rail-
way to Cabul or Cashmere. The products and
exchanges of the Sir Daria and Oxus valleys
themselves with their five or six millions Of
industrious people, barbarians though they
may be called, furnish heavy overland trade,
which will be absorbed along each river by a
railway or by light steamboat navigation on
each till the railway is constructed The
Oxus, we believe, is navigable for steamboats,
for five hundred miles or more in the
heart Of the dry season, SO that between
Lake Aral and the northwestern frontier of
British India line ofonly some five hundred
miles of railway will be needed to secure
steam transportation. In other words, with
the steamboat navigation of the Oxus line
of thousand miles of railway will connect
Orenburg and the Russian railway sys-
tenn in Europe with Cabul or CASH
mere. Looking, then, to British India,
the importance and the danger to Eng
land of this occupation by Russia Of the
line of the Oxus may be conjectured, as well
as the meaning of these alleged assurances
from the Russian government that her future