New-York tribune., 1878-10-12
AFGHANISTAN AND CYPRUS

IFROA REGULAR CORRESPONDENT Of inADS''H'i
LONDON. sept. 28.-Though have written tn's
week at some length on IndO-A Afghan affairs, must
AJAX leave to touch on one or two fresh points,
cannot con yenenty wait till next post Inc crls's
is a very grave one. | have said nothing on the
imminence of war. When the repulse of the En-
basSv was first known, the leading organ OF
the Ministry (which used TO be designated, more
simply and honOrably, the leading journal Oh
Enulant) said there could be no war this year De-
cause Winter was too close at hand. This was
repeated for two or three days in succession then
the tune was changed and the necessity OF imme-
diate repaTatiOn immediate vengeance adVo-
Gated. 1t is uncertain how far this reflects chahge
in Ministerial purposes 1t may arise from the
natural dislike of the leading organ to be over
played by the other organs, which had been
urging instant action. IL may equally arise trom
Lord Beacousfelds discovery that the crisis is more
pressing than he meant il to be. eseldOm troubles
himself about details. 1t may be doubted whether
he was accurately informed as to the period when
the Khyber and Bholan Passes are blocked with
snow and ordinary military operations cease to be
practicable IL is conceivable that the outline of the
plan for dealing with Shere Ali had been arranged
between the VicerOy and the Prime Minister and
that the mode and time of carrying it out were left
to the Viceroy. Lord Lytton himself is thought to
take IableI NHGuB NlcWb VI Wudb tull NdhhN' w
done in those regions of high politics which he de-
lights to inhablt He is, moreover, on the horns OF
a dilemma. If his military preparations are com
pletc, and he is ready to move at once with well
equipped and supplied force adequate to conquer
Afghanistan, the suspicion that he invited Shere
Airs insult to his ambassador IN order to use 1t as
preiext for INVASION Is so much strengthened as to
become almost certainty. If they are not com
plee, and he cannot move until next Spring, Shere
Ali goes unpunishod for six months, and the impress
sion this impunty may make on the susceptible
minds of his observation-disclosures under British rule
is quit lnCalculabe. However these things he, aud
whatever the reasons for the change be- all the recent
kilograms point TO an Immediate advance. Inc
London papers have published the strength and
composition of the separate columns Of the invading
force with Just as much cOmpUsure aS II there were
no telegraph across European Russia, no post nor
messenger beyond, no Russian envoy in Cabul, and
no suspicion that Russia is at the back Of shere
Ali in this business. Whether Russia IL mixed up IN
it or not the "JingOes" insist that she is, and the
very Jmgo" papers that accuse her of completely
with the Arneer complaceutly parade in tile next
column Intelligence which, if these accusations be
true ls of priceless value to their enemy.
Iflt be true that Russia is moving, directly or in-
directly, to attack India Lord Bcaconsield must be
the laSt man 10 Dt Nlliluk W dhlhlt it' 'h'H ~
came back from Berlin he declared that the rela-
tons between England and Russia were "essen-
TALLY friendly - adding moreover that the Cars
Government wrre convinced that restless and
warnke spirit Is one thar must debase aud perhaps
even ruin their country" What has happened since
TO convert this friendliness into onmity, open
or covertf And if nothing has happened,
what can excuse this fresh Outburst OF
Jngon hatred to Russiai If, on the other
hand, Russia were not IN on essentially
friendly mood at Berlin, what becomes OF Lord
Beaconshelds reputation as a dpomatist Has he
too fallen victim to the wiles If Prince Gorscha-
koff and Count Schouyaloffi II is hard 10 believe
that Lord BeacOnsteld really means TO 60 to war
with Russia. The Afghanistan expedition, suppus-
ing it to have to deal with the Ameer alone, will tax
the military resources Of India, at a moment when
they may be wanted to put down an
other "mutinyD IN the Peninsula itself,
aud when India IL all but bankrupt. Not long since
we heard Of the danger TO British authority from
the great armies the Indian Princes were maintains
ing, and a threat was uttered that they should De
suppressed. But they have not been suppressed.
They are more dangerous than ever, because The
threat has revived the jealousy Of their masters II
India il half stripped Of British troops for the va-
sion of Afghanistan, their place can only be taken
best are already urging that rcinf0rCements ought
O b, DISPATCHED without delay. But where are the
troops to he found il England is going to war, not
with Afghanstan only, but with Russia, also ] TIL
some proof IL supplied of Russian influence over
SLere Ali or Of diplomatic remOnstTancc with Rus
sia ON that score, it will be safe 10 believe
that even Lord BescOnsfcld may be content with
oua war al "A time But then he ought TO call Oh his
dogs. may add that the view according to which
one main object of this Afghanistan Hurry is the
diversion Of English attention from the collapse OF
the Berlin triumph. is pressed with great force IN
two or three of the leading weekles which appear
to-day.
How complete q fiasco the Cyprus business is, may
he seen from Mr. Archibald FOrbes's very able paper
IN The Nineteenth Century for October. Mr. Forbes
as all the world knows, went TO Cyprus IN company
with Sir Garnet Wolseleys expedition as the cor
RESPONDENT Of the journal which he has served 80
brilliantly during the last eight years. He humor-
ousy-but truthfully, no donbt-deserloes the JOY
with which he first heard of what the papers called
the annexation of Cyprus. The news gave me
pleasure there a SAVIOR OF strength, Oi poilcy'
Of a masteriulness IN 1t. In me, l Ihrew
nm NV ba. aud crowed. az beseemed an honest and
docile Jingo" But when, little later, he was
ordered there on duty. and began to study up mis-
new subject, disappolntments came thick and
faat. He tells us how hard it was to
find out anything about tho island. The
Government had bought up all tho re-
naming copies of Murrays Turkey in Asia"
Ihe Prime Minister replying TO Lord Granville a
little later declared that 1T was great error to
suppose that the Government decided on this step
of the occupation of Cyprus without the possession
Of adeduate information" Mr. Forbes's remark on
the declaration is good specimen of the grave irony
which nc has at command:
Tbere can be no doubt Of the truth of this state
ment made AZ it was by Lord Beaconsield; only 1t
NAV be added that the Government 30 scrupnlously
kent its adeauate information to itself that 1t did
q .nrnu N IN II1n nnllunt and lIaIingmlsheh