The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-19

she goes no further. one thing is already certain
England will inevitably push On her Pishin line
to Candahar. You may. possibly think
for some time to come for return
to Candahar; but every hour they are
tending to an English occupation of Herat, and
whether the communications be maintained
through Candahar or not, the connection between
Herat and Pishin will inevitably take the form
of a railway. If Russia pushes on her locomotive
to Sarakhs, to within POP miles Of Herat it will
not do for our locomotive to be 469 miles short
of it. Public opinion will compel the govern
ment to push the Indian railway system to
Candahar. In that case the positions will be
this:
Sarakhs to Herat. -..-..-...-....2o2la 500 600
Total length and cost. -.571ia a2,755 600
Thus, whether Russia turns off afterwards to
Merv or not, the extension of her railway system
to Sarakhs will have the effect of reducing the
gap between the railways of Europe and India
to less than 600 miles, But donot believe that
the public would be satisfied with this state of
affairs. Relatively the Russian locomotive would
be far too close to Herat and consequently our
Candahar line would be pushed on absolutely to
Herat. This done. the gap would be reduced to a
paltry two hundred miles, and there can be hard
ly doubt that the moment period of peace en-
sued, the pressure of commerce would quickly
bring about junction. Hence, hold that in a
worry Low years tlIHo Hula anu Will NC
joined together by a quick route, of
railway running through Herat, and the
traffic speeding along it, even If 1t be
only passenger, will revolutionize the
Russo-Indian region, and efface the southern
portion of the Afghan barrier If it be urged
that am too sanguine, l reply that the changes
prognosticate are nothing compared with what
has been accomplished since 1880. Take Merv.
1t was then as mysterious as Timbuctoo, and
common report affirmed that it was instant
RI "a
haunt of the man-stealing Turkomans. To-day,
the postman goes his rounds in the oasis, the
policeman guards the shops in the bazaar, and
site is already staked off for permanent tee-
graph Office. Take Herat. Less than eighteen
months ago no Englishman thought of the Sepoy
and Cossack confronting each other on the Par
opamisuS slopes. Herat was as much out of the
world, so far as European intercourse was con-
cerned, as the arctic region. To-day some OF
its gates are in the Postal Union, and a post
card can be sent by Lessar from London to
Alikhapoff at Pul-i-Khisti for penny"
It is to me always pleasant thing to contem-
plate conscious power. The other day Marvin was
mere newspaper paragraphist, clerk prosecu-
ted for giving away the secrets of his Office mo
newspaper man with the real journalistic in
stnct could have rested with the uncommuni-
Gated knowledge of a big piece of news); to-day,
although still a poor man, he is among the chief
aU horities in Europe on the burning questions
of ne hour, consulted by diplomates, studied by
minister's in London and ST. Petersburg, and
the recipient Of letters from unknown CORE
spondents in all parts of the world; and he feels
and expresses, in modest way, the influence
he represents
"Sooner or later" he says as we part, ENG
land and Russia must fight we are just as we'll
prepared now as ever we shall be; and if we
don't fight for Herat, we might as well throw up
the sponge But mark my words, we SHALL"
Not at present" venture to remark, and
that opinion is Endorsed by the latest news.
Russia is hardly likely, fancy, to provoke the
onslaught, about which we are terribly in earn
est. The demonstration OF Lord Dufferin on the
Indian frontiers is one that may even shake the
logged nature of Russia. But 1 agree with
Marvin, if we are to fight we might as we'll fight
now as in the future. Never, in all her history,
has England ever been ready for battle. 1t is
besidethe mark to say that she is not ready now;
but it is just as probable in these days. it gen.
orally has been. that she will be far better pre-
pared to go when the fighting is over than
her opponent will be; and this means that Eng
land rises to the occasion" There is far more
patriotic spirit in the country than some
would have you believe and it is showing itself,
not alone in volunteering for the Soudan war,
but in the improving relations between employ
er and employed. A vast body of men offering
to great manufacturing company, which had
long employed them, weeks work for nothing
is the highest form of patriotism. I am glad the
company accepted the labor. The working
classes are beginning to understand the nature
of the trade depression, and to sympathize with
their struggling employers. in the old days of
British manufacturing supremacy, this spirit of
cooperation and harmony existed it is splen-
did sign for good that it is coming back to
master and man in the days of our commercial
overthrow. repeat, if We are to fight, it may
as we'll be now as IN the future. The land
is full of distress. A onesided thing
called free trade (which Is not free trade
and nothing like it, has lowered our
industrial flag. Workingmen are told to emf
CRATE. Many of our large capitalists have trans
ferred their money into foreign manufactures
and speculations The last blow at our once
proud position is threatened when Russia
marches on Herat. She has been moving in
that direction for years. Now that we are seri-
ously occupied in Egypt, she tramples treaties
and promises under foot and reaches out her
strong red hand. The Gar is no longer ''the
divine figure from the North" even in Daily
News leaders If my contemporary represents,
as believe he does, the sentiments of the gov
eminent, Russia must go baek-or fight. In
that case England will at least find occupation
for her operatives and agricultural laborers, and
the farmer will again be able to pay his rent.
Food will be dear, art will stand STILL civiiza-
ton will be checked, but Russia will be thrust
back upon her icy cities to deal with something
even more terrible than Anglo-Indian guns-a
revolution of the ignorant and enslaved against
a corrupt and brutal despotism.
JOSEPH HATToN.