The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-30

When British throats were hoarse with
shouting laudations of Beaconstield on
his return from the Berlin Congress we
took occasion to say that the peace there
secured was but a truce, merely post
ponement Of the trial of the great issue
involved in the Eastern question. We
likewise stated the opinion that the sud
denly acquired popularity of Lord Bea-
consfeld would speedily wane, when the
British people should come to know all
that was implied in his rather ostenta-
tious announcement of England's I'm
perial policy as an "Asiatic Power"
Events now transpiring verify both of
these opinions. The proceedings of the
Congress of Berlin have resulted in but
truce; the British people are denounc-
ing the Imperial policy enunciated by
their Prime Minister, and Beaconsfield's
popularity is manifestly on the wane.
With all her vaunted power, and with
her thrice vaunted wealth, England has
her serious troubles. Within the past
five years her trade has diminished to an
alarming degree; her annual imports
have exceeded her exports by more than
5000, 600; her revenue has fallen off
so as to demand a material addition to
the burden of taxation to even support
her civil list; her India trade has been
paralyzed by famines and financial con-
vulsions her domestic industrial system
is undergoing an enormous strain, and
the end is not yet; her finances are
forced into most critical conditions by
bank and mercantile failures of astound-
ing dimensions. With all these troubles
of civil nature, now comes a war upon
her hands against semi i-barbarous peo-
pie far off in Central ASIA backed, as is
supposed, by the power of Russia; and
therefore war of unknown proportions
and of uncertain consequences.
When the impending war with Afghan
istan was first announced it was spoken
of as mere military promenade for the
exercise of the Indian army alone; and
that the territory of the bold-spoken
Ameer would be overrun and occupied
by the Anglo-Indian army before the first
snowfall in the Punjaub. But there
among those Himalayan heights winter
has already come, and that conquering
army of India has not moved; and now
we are told that movement is postponed
till spring.
That the power of England could over.
whelm Afghan is perhaps undoubted
But such conquest can not be made by
any "little war;" even if unsupported by
any other power. Afghanistan is a coun
try of three hundred and sixty thousand
square miles, containing population OF
five million of hardy mountaineers brave
and vindictive in war. Their territory
is defended by impossible mountain
ranges running parallel with the River
Indus, across which an invading army
from India can march only through three
defles, and these all strongly fortified
and garrisoned by an army of one hun
dred thousand men. The Afghan troops
are now well supplied with arms of the
best modern make, received in their trade
between Cabul and Herat and the north
ern marts of Bokhara and Khiva.
Clearly, this war, when prosecuted
will be no holiday affair. England tried
it once, in 1912, at the cost of $4,000,
900, and the loss of whole army in re
treat. Her strongest arm, her navy, car
be of no service to her there in that re
mote region of Farther India, far from
any safe base of supplies, and with al
means of transportation feeble and inse