The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-24

I
Russian officers, proved quite as inefficient
as in the campaign Of 1s39-i0, and the SHOWS
Of highland winter, which had formerly
furnished an efficient means Of defence,
were, in this cnsc only capable Of arrcsting
| for Il brief period the progress OF inva-
sion. Notwithstanding some ntful inter
! ruptions the British lines of commune
cation seem TO have been maintained in
tact, and, with the opening of spring, three
armies strongly reinforced and Injured to
the hard-hips OF mountain warfare were
ready to push forward by convcrging roads
upon the capital To stay their advance
upon Cabul no force could now be mustered
at all comparable in numbers or spirit with
! that which twcNcmonth ago obeycd the
summons of SHEHE ALI. Moreover, his
son's hold upon the throne was of the most
! prccarious character every month since his
accession being signai1ed by outbreaks,
! whose savage repression seemed rather TO
| ioment than etilc the feeling ~ disancction.
! Another instrument Of coercion has been the
presence in the British camp OF WALL Mo-
HANfMED, half brother ~ SHEBE ALI. whose
| claim the succession was commendcd the
invaders by his thorough acquaintance with
every province Of Afghanistan. In II long
! experience as Governor In all parts Of the
country this Slrdar had acquired great
political following, and he was certain TO
divide the support and syinpathics OF the
| Pathan chiefs Under those circumstances,
! NAKooB KHAN really had no choice but TO
/ accept with the utmost promptitude what
| ever terms might be Nouchsa!cd to him
| That the Niccroy Of India, acting doubtless
! from instructions from the home Govern
| ment. has contentcd himself with eXactions
/ relatively moderate, proves nothing for the
| power Of resistance still belonging TO the
| Afghan prince, but should probably bc rock
oHcd an additional proof OF Lord BEACoNs-
FIELDS sagacty.
Both the British Premier and the Marquis
Of SALISBURY have repeatedly declared that
no material advantage would accrue from
the temporary occupa don of Cabul. Atheist
such n step would Ice, it was affirmed, Il
snowy demonstration not unlikely to i'm
press the people OF British India, but GER
! tain TO destroy the remnant Of IAKooB
kHAN's authority, and leave him wholly
useless as an ally or an instrument. On the
other hand. the masters OF Candahar and
Cabul have seldom excrtcd more than
nominal control over the refractory dcni-
! Guns Va AAl' hiAs b'lf AAit ANANhAf anu All'
kuram Passes. TO surrender them would
! be, Of course. to forcgo the opportunity OF
! inroad into THAI punjab delta to which
the dynasty preceding Dosr MoHAMAED's
| could advance the claim OF conquest.
But such n loss would not carry
| by any means the discredit entailed by the
| Acknowledgement OF unguestioned Afghan
ground So far as we can judge, the British
ENJOYS have been careful to encroach as
! little as possible upon the Amcer's taxable
territory and have confined their demands
| 10 such strategic posts as seem ndispensa
Bile for defensive uses. In the Khyber Pass,
| for instance, their boundary will stop, we
are told, at Lundi Kotal-that is TO say, at
| the eliminating point Of the deiile whence
descent OF three thousand feet takes you
into valley where all military difficulties
cease, and between which and Jelaahad
there is nothing To fear. In like manner on
the BclOoch frontier the outposts are 10 be
pushed just far enough beyond Quctah TO
command the really difficult portion Of the
kuram Pass and give free access into the
plains Of Candahar. In other words, the
! treaty seems to have assured the precise
changes Of boundary declared by competent
authorities to constitute scientific frontier.
With the great gates Of India thus def
initcly acquired and fortified rs they soon
! will be, by the resources Of modern en-
! cheering, the new Amccr must cease to be
! formidable to England, hut he may still, il
| rightly handled, be made troublesome TO
| Russia. Notwithstanding some eclipse Of
dignity, aud some sacrifices Of territory, he
will remain in the eyes OF Moslems the
greatest orthodox prince in Asia after the
ottoman Sultan. To him the di-ail"c'rd
throughout Turki-tan will inevitably look
for countenancc and support. Since the con-
quest Of khiya and Of kashgar nothing
short Of the annexation of his dominions
could take from the ruler Of CGbul tins
species Of moral leadership in AsIatic Islam.
Jhe residence 81 an English envoy at the
capital Is essential to make sure that the
Afghan influence shall be exercised Alright,
that il shall at no time Dee turned to the ac-
count OF the Car, and that, ON the other
hand. YAKooB KHAN shall not prcclpitatc
collision with Russian interests by unau-
thorizcd aggres,lons or Vaccinations.
SO far as the results Of the Afghan con-
test can now bc measured, they would APP
pear to justify the foreign policy Of the
British Ministry in this quarter. No doubt
there are many gaps available for light
armed infantry in the rocky rampant which
walls Off the Afghan countryfrom the plains
Of India. But the great historic passes by
which large and well appointed force Of In
vadcr4 has heretofore descended and proba-
bly, the only dellcs that could be truyerscd
by artillery, will DE hcncclorth IN English
keeping. And, il we may trust the expert
enco OF tributary princes in llindostan, the