San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-11-09
v1FGH1NISTAN.
p,o.oLi,ifv of Hdr Bef,reen England d"d
Russia.
From the Chicago Times.l


The telegraph news from London rel
alive to the English mission to Afghan
;ston is to the effect that it has been
complete failure. According to these
accounts, the British mission, upon
Khyber pass, was confronted
by an Afghan officer who refused to let
the company pass through the mount
aims. Entreaties were of no avail. The
officer manned the pass with his forces
and gave evidence that, if necessary, he
would resist by force the passage OF the
English. He was notified that the
Ameer would be held responsible; but
the notification made no difference. He
still refused the desired permission, and
the English mission was compelled to
retrace its steps to Calcutta. The Eng
lish kilograms add that the matter will
henceforth be regarded as something di-
rectly concerning English politics, and
that it will be treated from this, instead
of an Indian standpoint. .t.
These facts reaching the American
public, will not be to excite any es-
pecial interest except among those few
who may have given some attention to
affairs in that part of the world where
this event has Just occurred. In reality,
the occurrence is one Of great signifi-
canoe, because it has n most important
bearing on the future relations OF Eng
land and Russia. From this refusal of
the representative of the Afghan Ameer
to allow the English embassy to enter
the country there may come events OF
worldwide Importance. "
Afghanistan is country containing
some 100000 square miles and popu-
lation of nearly 100000. 1t lies to
the northwest of India, being adjacent
to Scinde and the Punjaub. To the
north of it lies Bokhara, in Turkistan, a
country wholly under Russian influence.
The great bugbear Of England is an
overland invasion of her rich Indian
possessions by Russia, and the only feas-
ible route for such an invasion is by way
of Bokhara through Afghanistan. A
Russian army gathered in Bokhara could
cross the Hindoo Koosh mountains
which separate Turkistan from Afghan
istan, and then, moving east, could cross
the Solyman mountains, through the
famous Khyberpass. and find themselves
in India. Well aware of the strategical
value of Afghanistan as barrier to a
Russian advance, England, since 1888,
has labored assiduously tosecure stand
ing in that country, either as conquer
or, protector or an ally.
Thus far these efforts have been, in
the main, most costly and bloody fail
ure. There are many living who will
not have forgotten the long and useless
war which ragged between the English
and Afghans. In 1889 the English army
entered the country through the Bolan
pass--which lies south of the Khyber
pass-with a heavy force which, at first,
gained some temporary advantages. The
principal cities were captured, the great
err part of the country was overrun, and
ruler friendly to the British interests
was installed. This was in 1910; but
during that year and the following one
instructions broke out in every direc-
ton, which were only held in check by
an expenditure of nearly $10,000,000 per
annum In the early part of 1912 the
British garrisons were attacked by the
insurrectionists, and in every instance
they were either captured by storm OF
forced to capitulate. Thousands of the
Indian and English troops were massa-
cred rs they were marching out of the
country. In one case an army of some
5000 men and some 10000 camp follow
ers, who had capitulated and were march
ing out of the country under a
safe-conduct, were waylaid in the defiles
of the Solyman mountains and massa-
cred, with the exception of a single man.
Another army some months after sue
ceeded in entering the country and gain
ing Il few small successes, but the forces
soon after recrossed into India. Thus