, 1880-11-06

must elmer annex beioOCuIctou, oouuHy
as large as England, covered with noun
famous desert, and inhabited by half a
million of half starved and warllke savages,
or they must 80 garrison Khelat and SO
protect its chief as to render q successful
Instruction impossible. That is to say;
they must either burden India with a pro-
vince which it is nearly impossible to
govern, its whole revenue being 100000 a
year, and its clans untamably unruly, or
they must establish second great canton
ment at Khelat, 10 order to guard against
an uprising dangerous to the c%ommunica-
lions of Candahar. If that city is to be held
as an imperial outpost, a sort OF land Glib
roltaf, and ,garrisoned with 10000 men. it
cannot be left n the air /; it must be con-
nected with India by railway, and to make
that railway safe, Khelat and therefore oil
Beloochistan, must be firmly kept in
order, otherwise we may be reduced to the
necessity of marching an army to relieve
Candahar whenever the Beloochees choose
to think it convenient to upset their Khan,
who is almost entirely without self sustain
ing power, and to intercept communication
the last q work which, were Candahar
to become a wealthy entrepot, would be
irresistibly attractive. To leave the dan
ger to the future, or to chance, would be
most "unsclentifc :" and if the railway
were made, it most certainly would not be
left. The Government would be incessant-
ly tainted with it's folly IN leaving q great
cantonment, q discontinued province, and
q railway worth six millions at the mercy
of barbarian State which might at any
moment be ruled by soldiers of fortune,
anxious to provide the clansmen with a
chance of plumber, and the Government
would yield.
Is it worth the while of the Government OF
India. with its Insufficient revenue and over
burdened army, and its $50 millions ofsubjects,
TO undertake. two new burdens OF this extent,
the government of Candahar, o hostile and
extensive, but non-paying, province, In order
to have an outpost if Russia should ever
come, or if we should ever wish to invade Rus
STA in Asia aud the government OF Belo0chls-
tan, g province still wider, still poorer, and
still more difficult to keep, in order to protect
com munications with Candaharg 1t seems TO
us that sensible men even if inclined to SYM
pathise with Jingoism, and to run great risk In
order that their country might always seem
triumphant, would if responsible for the State,
reject such q scheme, and prefer any RISK tha1
may by possibility be involved 10 q complete
withdrawal. That risk can only arse In
India itself, and in India, SO long as the Army
is not overstraired, we are completely masters.
We are quite aware that it must be q pltter
moment for those who sanctioned LORD bea-
consfeld's policy when they are called upon
to give ~ Candahar, and so admit that a poll
CIV which has cost ego, 900. 900 and at least
1000 lives has produced no visible results
whatever; but that bitterness has been endured
before. We quilted Beloochistan so COM
pletely that 1t is forgotten that we were ever
supreme in that Country. We retired from
Afehanistan. and for nearly forty years abstain
ed from interference in its affairs. We gave
up Egypt after turning out the Frencn, ana
surrendered Java after 1t had been organised
and governed for five years as q BRUSH pro-
vince. The notion that the British stan
dards should never go back. except under COM
pulsion, Is q mere fancy which II it were obey
ed would soon render all sound,policy impossible.
In the present instance they will not 60 back,
for thew were never sent forward with any
idea of permanently remaining. Even Lord
BeacousGeld Ids. Government repudiated the idea
of annexing Afghanistan. and made . Treaty
in which there was no mention of the necessl-
ty. now so strongly urged, Of retaining Canda-
har. The second invasion was produced by
the murder of Sir Louis Oavagnari, and that
is amply punished by the fall of the tSoveFe1gn
who did not prevent it, by the occupation q
the Capital, and by the Ioverthrow Of oil AZ
ohon military nower in the field. and especlai-