River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1878-11-07
KEY TO RUssIA's POLICY.
ILondon world. /

The most significant piece of intelligence
which has lately reached England, taken in
connection with the Afghan difficulty. has
passed almost unnoticed by the daily papers.
which assume to instruct the public on East
ern affairs generally. Considering the con-
fused dtterances of those oracles ON the sub
ject which is now mainly absorbing popular
interest, it is, perhaps, not to be wondered
at that a Iumor of disturbance in Seistan
conveyed no very definite meaning to the
average journalistic mind. At the same
time, coinciding as the event does with the
refusal of Shere Ali to receive our mission,
it is one of the highest importance, and may
furnish the key to the policy on which Rus
STA relies practically to defeat the treaty
of Berlin. 1t should never be for
gotten that the European and Asia
tic questions became indissolubly con
nected when we brought Indian troops into
the Mediterranean; and that the treaty of
Berlin contains SO many provisions which it
is humanity impossible can ever be fulfilled,
that Russia has only to keep England alb
sorbed in Asia to do what she likes in
Europe. Is there any European power but
England which would 60 to war with Aus
STA to compel her to comply with the engage
ments she has entered into in regard to Tur-
key? Russia's object in Central Asia is not
to go to war with England, but to disintegrate
Afghanistan, and, by furnishing munitions
of war and volunteer officers and men to the
enemies of Shere Ali, to destroy the Afghan
powers, and substitute for it her own pup
pets while advancing her frontier from the
| Oxus and Tashkend. The instruments
whom she intends to use for this purpose
are the Shah of Persia and Abdurahman
u aIotin Ot
the Ameer In urging Sheer Ali to refuse
the British mission she is urging him to his
own destruction.
Whatever else may happen in Afghanistan
one thing is certain, the present Ameer's
! fate is sealed. The disturbances in Seistau
mean a revival of the old frontier dispute
between Persia and Afghanistan, which ar
English nilsson went to settle few years
ago, but, as is usual in arbitration matters
neither party was satisfied. In other words
Persia is urged by Russia to take advantage
of the Ameer's difficulty with England tc
attack him covertly on his western frontier
| The acquisition by Persia of Seisten means
the annexation of Afghanistan. Simultane
ouslv with this move on the part of Persia
! Russia will advance on Merv, which bring
her frontier almost to the gates of Herat
| At the same time she will probably install
| Abdurrahman Khan, now an exile in Samara
cand, as ruler of Balkh, the northeastern
province of Afghanistan, where he is yer,
popular, thus virtually approaching her from
tier to Peshawar. In the meantime 1t IS t.
be supposed that British troops will hav
occupied Candahar and Girishk, as thos
positions flank any advance from Persia, ant
may possibly find it necessary to declar
war against Persia, in which case an expe
dition to the Persian Gulf will be necessary
Russia calculates, and with reason, that
by melting Abdurrahman to advance from
the north to Cabul, where he has man
partisans, he will produce revolution il
Afghanistan, which the Ameer, attacked o.
all sides, will be in no position to put down
It will then be too late for him to accede +
the British demands, for he will be power
less tc execute them, and England will fin
herself engaged with Persia on the west an
The forces of the new pretender to tn
Afghan throne on the north, both strongl
backed by Russia. The present whic
Russia made to Persia, after the late war, c
he fortress of Khotour, with an adjacen
slip of territory; the marked manner
which the Shah avoided visitiD
England on the occasion c
his last trip to Europe and journey to )
Petersburg taken in correction with th
. opportune disturbance in Seistan-indicat
clearly the relations which subsist betwee
the Gar and the Shah. Meantime Russi
has pushed forward to Kizil-Awat, a poir
beyond her legitimate frontier, in order til
better to support the movements above ind
Gated; and the British government has
rigat TO demand an explanation of this &C
vance, and to require her to withdraw fror
so menacing a position. Whether ultimate
ly we shall be compelled to force Russia int
taking an openly hostile attitude, or ma
prefer meeting her with her own weapon
and rouse the Central Asian Khanatt
against her, furnishing them with traine
Mahometan volunteer soldiers from our Ii
] dian armies, and with the military assistant
and munitions of war necessary to enab
them to revolt successfully against the Ru
sian occupying force, is a question whlc
the course of events can alone decide.