National Republican., 1883-03-02
Tun nussrAN ApvANcn 1N ASIA.
Extending tho Trans-Caspian Railway
Awakening the Fears OF Englishmen.

Extending tho Trans-Csspisn Railway
Awakening the Fears OF Englishmen.
The recent exploration of the region be-
tween SaralEhs and Herat by the Russian
traveller, M. Lessar, with the avowed object
of selecting the most favorable line Of country
for the prolongation eastward, If not india
ward, Of the Trans Caspian railway, has had
the effect of dragging the multiform and
somewhat persistent eastern question into re-
newed light. A correspondent, writing to the
London (England) Standard, says that If the
Central Asian question be, indeed, bugbear,
and If glance at the map be sufficient to re-
assure q doubling politician, 1t must be ad-
mitted that the gradual rapprochement Of the
| two empires makes it less of o bugbear and
more Of q reality every day. On our side
we have, IL is true, been guiltless Of
any attempt at extension Of dominion, and
the Indian frontier is now practically the
same as 1t was before the war Of 1873.
But the Russians have been far from following
30 unsel6sh an example. Their occupation
some years ago Of Ashurade Chikslar and
other vantage points on the southeastern mar
gin of the Caspian, was ashrewd strategic COM
mencement, Indicating clearly that the advan-
tages of such points-aterrei in facilitating future
movements were not loss upon the Muscovite.
1t was not, however, until the annexation of
the Akhal Tekke that the country's first great
stride in this direction was taken, while the
construction of the railway from the Caspian
| sea to Bami has proved that our rivals are
keenly alive to those means by which the ten
ure of q new territorial possession may bo
most readily strengthened and consolidated.
For somo time no further extension of the
Trans-Caspan railway appears to have boon
thought of, though quasi continuation there
Of in the shape Of tramway was laid down
as far as Bami. But such state of things
was obviously only temporary. The COM
mercial Importance of the Akhal Tekke
country was too insignificant to repay the
outlay on an expensive public work, and, un-
less the railway could be prolonged as far as
some central mart-such as Meshed or Herat-
1t would remain proftless venture Nj.
Lessar's recent survey, the detailed descrip-
tion Of which Is TO appear In the forthcoming
Proceedings of tho Royal Geographical soci-
ety." has set the future direction of the rail-
way beyond q doubt. 1t has demonstrated
that the entire distance from Askabad to
Herat, via Saraks, is 800 miles, and of this the
first 200 miles and the last ninety miles will
require no earthwork at all, while the middle
stretch, about 100 miles in length, will in
volve no moro labor than an average railway
in Russia in Europe.
The prospect of the connection Of tho Cas-
plan with Herat, the western metropolis Of
Afghanistan, is sufficient to arouse grave
thoughts among Englishmen. At the recent
meeting of the Royal Geographical society
the intelligence appears to have created some-
thing like panic, and Sir Henry Rawlinson
expressed the evident sense of his hearers
when he gave utterance to an earnest hope
, that the project might not be realized, at any
, rate, until we had constructed a railway to
the same point from Sibi, via Quetta and Cam
! dahar. This latter contingency is one which
is hardly likely to be carried into effect. The
government have already decided to refrain
from continuing the railway from Sibi to
0a,,s I1,y s,,n apI
they are in the highest degree unlikely to
embark on the formidable task Of prolonging
: it still further through strange and
r semi-hostie country over which we
D have no jurisdiction. Such an enter
prise would be completely opposed to the
affairs, which had been cardinal feature in
the policy Of the government And yet it is
difficult to see what other countermove we
v could resort to. If the projected Russian rail-
i way toward Herat be once commenced and
carried along, say, the western bank of the
Heri-Rud river, SO rs to avoid any actual vio-
lation of Afghan territory, it is clear that
= tho practicability of invasion would be
: brought so much nearer to our doors as to
compel us, in self defense, to mako large adj
ditions to our Indian frontier garrisons.
!, And as anything touching so vitality both the
" y independence of Afghanistan and the Sc
. curity of our frontier would clearly justify
u advance into Afghanistan for the purpose OF
D laying down a railway between Herat and
Sibi is a measure which could be amply justi-
fed.
Your we'll known correspondent Prof
Arminius Vambery, takes somewhat diff
. ferent view. In letter which recently ap.
n peared in your columns, and in which he
t displays all that thorough familiarity with
v the details of the Central Asian question that
Q invests his opinion with so much value, hC
a pleads for the appointment of British agents
/. at Herat Mazar-i-Sherif, and Candahar, and
" argues with much force that If the Afhgans
were able to guarantee the safety of VitkOvict
and Stolietoh, they can easily protect English
ambassadors if they like. Without enlargnl
further on this suggestion, which doubtlcs:
has, or rather had, much to recommend it,
"a may remark that fear the remedy will nov
~ be found insufficient to cope will
y the disease. British officer at Sarakhi
~ might be the means of conveying
3" much trustworthy and valuable informa
tion regarding the Russian progress IL
those regions; but as long as there is no posi-
tive infraction of international agreements
such an officer would be powerless to prevent
III the construction of q railway which might b,
7, confined almost wholly to Persian territory
whore Russia may be said to have as mucl
right as we have. The situation has, indeed
got beyond that stage when we may hope II
counteract merely by watchful attitude ant
ii the promptitude of our information. W.
must be prepared for more drastic action, TO
it will indeed need vigorous measures ON on
part to establish q counterp0ise against Russi,
.. when she is once enabled to throw her troop
by rail from her base on the Caspian into tn
strongest fortress and the westerns capital o
~ Afphaniatan.