St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-05-28
Great Britain and Russia.
Written for The Caledonian

Russia still continue to absorb pubIc
attention throughout Europe, India,
and the United States. Such wide
spread interest springs from the knowl-
edge that IA struggle of these European
giants ON the fields of Asia may affect
the ends of the earth. For weeks di
plomatists have Ostensibly busted
themselves to avert wal. Propositions
and counter propositions have been
discussed, arbitration has been propos-
ed, now negotiations are proceeding
and for the moment the prospect Is
peaceful but meanwhile military and
naval preparations are being pushed
with utmost vigOr in both countries.
Whatever the immediate result, Great
Britain and Russia have become rivals
in Asia, and it is doubtful whether a
peaceful solution of the present diff
Guilty will do more than postpone
long and bloody contest.
There are certain large facts which
it will be well to keep in view in any
two powers for the mastery of Asia.
One European power has as much
right as any other in Central Asia.
Any government of Great Britain or
Russia in that region will rest upon
force alone, and not on the consent of
the government.
Both Great Britain and Russia have
become rivals in Asia as the result of
historical causes over which neither
had complete control. So trifling an
event as "a rise in the price of pepper
in 1000 gave birth to the East India
company. The trade relations of this
company in India led to its acquisition
of territory its successful government
of that territory became impossible,
and Great Britain in 1858 found herself
obliged to assume the burdens of the
company and to attempt the difficult
task of ruling two hundred millions of
Asatics. Never, perhaps, was com
quest made with more unconscious aim
of its ultimate result, but the fact re-
mains that Great Britain has become
responsible for the peace, security, and
welfare of India, and in such way
that it would he an immortality for her
to at once abandon India, even if she
wished to do so. Great Britain now
has no direct pecuniary interest in In
dia. Directly it is only a source of ex-
pense to the British people, though in
directly it's trade is worth to them
about $500, 100000 annually. Russia's
interest in Central Asia is the result of
the policy adopted by Peter the Great
in 1896 for making her naval power.
A first-class state must have access to
the sea. Russia's northern coast dur
ing a large part of the year is lined
with ice. Her natural outlet at the
south-thrOugh the Black sea, the Oar
artifcially stopped up by Russia's riv-
ais in Europe. After the CTimean war
in 1856, avowedly to protect the Turk,
but really to protect themselves, Great
Britain and France bound Russia by
treaty not to keep war ships on the
Black sea. Though Russia has refused
to be bound by this agreement since
1870, she still controls no outlet to the
sea during the whole year, and many
of her people have come to believe
that their long industrial and CONNER
-, 4 Il,
possess COnstantinOple or some other
haven on the southern seas. Russian |
policy since the Crimean war has been
to strike the British empire in its most
vulnerable point-India,-in hope that
Great Britain would withdraw her OPP
position to the Russian possession of
COnstantinOple. The present advance |
in Central Asia and the dispute over the |
boundary line of Afghanistan are only |
incidents in that policy. Our country |
man, Eugene Schuyler, whose thorough |
of Russian affairs gives
great weight to his opinion, says it is
absurd to believe that Russia wants |
India it is far more likely that, if she |
is not still aiming at COnstantinople, |
she is aiming to acquire a seaport on |
the Arabian sea.
Afghanistan, which now serves as a |
buffer between Great Britain and Rus
sia, will probably be absorbed or di-
vided between these two great en-
pires. Marvin, the author of ''The
Russians at the Gates of Herat," says,
"DO what we can, we can never pre-
vent the inevitable junction of the
Russian and English boundaries in
Asia. 1t would be difficult to do so
with Russia's help; it is impossible
without it," Which empire will ulti-
mately rule over the Afghans may de-
pend upon the result of the present
boundary dispute, as that may settle
the line of military defense. British
officials in India have for fifty years
been divided about the line that should
be selected for defense. Whenever the
young military party in India, which
always wishes to win its spurs and is
eager for war, has been in power. it
has favored making Herat "the Gate
of India and there awaiting the on
set of the Russians. Twice when in
power, in 1889 and in 1873, it has tried
to conquer Afghanistan, and met with
ignominiOus failure. Now it has made
an alliance with the ruler of the