Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1878-11-16
The A6khautstsn Plupry.

Wape OF Ana, mUre especially tn0oo q
Aiehanistan and Iudis. vhiea proniss
70 b The thsAise Of the pext Sss. The
plump refusal Of the Amer or C.bul
10 roceive OF listen 10 the Eogiish En-.
besay hes raised the ire al the Beitish
Lion 10 that extsut that tho noble aai.
NAL 10 lashing his TANKS With tsmpestu.
Gus fury - he regards the Ameer.
and r0aring with equal fury - be
scrovls q the bear behind the Ameef,
co~placently sucking his paws.
T 70 recorl Of Afghsnistsnis acqaAint
sucs with Englsnd 10 one Of disesser 70
the let or. In 1909, in consequsncs Of
Napolson's intrixues in Persia. Gen.
Elphinst0ne wss sent - IN Envoy 70
the Shah 6huja, then in power. Thirty
years later, fearing the advances Of
Russia, the English sousht to restore
the Shah Shujs, then . rsfuRes In Isdia,
70 power. The Afghan 0ovsrnoeet
opposed IL, and Eiphinstoae marched
an army into Oabul. snd insGalled Shah
Shuja By fores. and left 5000 men, b.
si.ies the Shah's oSn forers, 70 deiend
him. In l0l1 . revolt broke out, 90
compsnied by . fearful massacrs. For
Q year disaster followed disaster. The
principal OHIO. - Of the army were mu'.
dered, and, in 10l2. VIXEN the British
mado . couvensi0n TO evacuaie tho
country. IL was only little handfal Of
what had been . powerful army that
marched back into India. and the i'll
fated g srrisOn hal NO sooner gone than
Shs 6hujs wss asssssiasted. Tosvenss
these disAstqrs an army was dtssd out
i" India which destroyed the citadel Of
Csbul, recovered some Of the Enalioh
prisoners, and, in December. 18a2.
evacuated Aighanistsn. Since that time
the English have not been in there, bat
the Russians have, and their Envoy 10
now in C.hul, and their army under
Gen. Kaufman IN its borders. Hence
tho futile attempt OF the English mis-
sion to warn the Ameer against any
Russian alliance.
The destruction Of -Elphinstone's
army in 1910 prod uced suoh fright in
England that the public sentiment b. .
u 1t been favorable to any more inv,.
sions OF that country. The Russians.
however, are now within 800 miles OF
India, with force of some 80 900 men,
anil the Ameer has spurned every offer
Of English friendship and oil their
promises to guarantees his independence.
He has il fact trusted to the Russians
for protection, anil we may naturally
expect that. under such circumstances,
public sentiment will change 10 Eng:
land, and that they will rely upon bet
ter officers, better armies, and stronger
aud better trOops to escape the fate that
overt,nk ElUhinstone. A dispatch in
Our last issue intimates that the English
Government la. ordered the massing
of an army OF IL 600 men on the frol
tier near Peshnwur. 1t is CORRIDORS.
tive If this that tue London Tunes Of
September 10 says: "The Cabinet hes
not only acquainted Ameer Shere Ali
with its intention to dispatch an Em
bassy to Cabml. hut il preparing to
back up that Embassy. il the current
rumOr may be believed, by an army
cold sesson.-thAt IL. in six weeks time,
would reach Hassan Abdul, between
Rawul Pindee and Attock, these
localitie being in the immediate vicin-
ity VI Peshxwur, In the extreme north
estern corner of India, aud ct the
English emi OF the KhS Der Pass, the
gateway into Afghanistan from that di-
rec ion, and only $50 miles distant from
Cabul. 1t is significant fact that the
Russian force is about the same dis
tance away from Cabul in the opposite
direction. The English force is stated
by the Times to consist of three Infantry
divisions aud a. many brigades OF cav
airy, or about IL, 900 men. In discuss
ing the strategy of the situation, the
Times takes the ground that strong
combined division eau overthrow any
force that can be brought against it,
and that. as the great difficulty will be
tue guarding of communications and
the supply OF provisions, which must
be brought up by conveys, each invad-
ing column should consist at but two
compact briga.les of thoroughly discip.
Incl troops, armed with br~ech leaders
and supported by the proper proportion
OF cavalry and artillery. 1t concludes
that to enter Afyhsnistan will req uire
three 'lumnsnf about IA 600 men each,
and about $4,000 reserves on the from
tier, or total Of 60 600 men
From such details as these it will be
seen that the English evidently contem.
plate with Afghsnis an a. near
event. It will be marvellous il that waf
is confined within the narrow limits or
Cabul. It will be strange il the Ameer
has deliberately defisd England, IN the
face OF an armed force on her borders,
upon his own motion and without the
promise of protection from Russia. 1t
will he equally strange il there are not
this winter fierce mutters in London
and st. Petersburg, suggestive inter.
rOgatories between the Premiers o. t.
the meaning OF this and that, aud gen.
eral clearing up Of the stage prepare
tory tO the first scene in the great drama
OF Asistic supremacy.-Chicugo III.
bune.
The birds Of South America must be
socisble race. A traveller ON the Am.
azon tells us that they have Q strange
custom Of hunting in crowds. Birds
Of many kinds will unite in one party.
Ay all together to ono spot, where they
will settle. and carefully search every
nook and Granny for worms, grubs,
beetles. and other nice thinRs. Some
hunt un.lar the bark Of trees, Others
sr,~> At>~s. ~ A.