New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-03-20
NOT apF1CE WITH. HONOR"

Tho innuiries addressed to Mr.. Giaustone III
the Uouse of Commons on the Afghan
boundary question, though in no case answered.
with anv approach to directness, have eilciteu
admissions which may be Thought 10 warrant
the SUSPICION that if the danger OF war WIN
RrsS;a ia for the moment averted, 1t can only
be because Russia is not ready Tor hostliitles'
and not at all because Mr.. Gladstones Govern
ment has assumed a firm tone ana resoiu1e
attitude. The Premiers reading oil Dir Edward
ThorntOn's dispatch stating the position Oh NJ.
de Giers was q humiliating spectacle lor I"
showed plainly that the Wanted arrange
mentn bound Russia to nothing, and that so lar
from Hedging herself not to make any
further advances. she distinctly reserved to
herself the right to advance at her own discre
t;o, For nothing less than this is involved IL
tbo statement that q the Russian troops will not
u advance from the positions now occupied by
them, provided the Afghans DO not advance
q or unless some extraordinary reason DE gwen
asuch as disturbances in PenIdeh." ouch an
answer as this TO any other GoverhmenI Wouiu
seem nothing less than impertinent triiling' DuI
Mr.. Gladstone appears thankful 10 receive any
answer whatever from Russia, even though nc
couId not reveal the real nature OF the
q arrangement" with complete selt-possession'
OF course it is perfectly clear that such an
orrong,mant settles nothing, and that under 1t
General Komaro6 is free to advance upon
/ Penideh whenever he pleases or as much nearer
Ierat as he peases, since he has only 10 pretehu
the existence of some extraordinary reason
But this was not the only humiliation Mr.
Gladstone had to suffer during the session
referred to. He had to admit that last Deem
her the Russians refused to withdraw from the
position they occupied at that time bcyonu
Sarakhs. lie tried to disguise the significance
of the admission by saying that "as matter
of fact the request had lapsed." But the House
saw the truth, which was that the request had
lapsed simply and solely because the Russians
declined to accede to it, doubtless relying
confidently upon the "masterly inactivity" oil
the English Government. And regarding the
Afghan question, it is now clear that II there Is
no war it will be only because Russia Is not
ready, but that she is treating England with as
little respect or regard for the truth or Tor the
sacredness of past engagements as she might
manifest to ward an Asiatic Khanate. 1t is not
less clear that she is having her way; that Is TO
say that she is allowed to hold the territory
which she has forclbly seized in the face OF the
Boundary Commission convened To decide
whether she has any title to it; and that Mr..
Gladstone will consider himself lucky IL she Is
contented with the new slice OF territory Tor the
time being.
That this is not /" peace with honor" II indeed
any peace can be established on such terms, Is
apparent In effect, England comedies every
thing and Russia nothing. The influence oil
such an arrangement" upon the Ameer
remains to be seen. The meeting with Lord
Dufierin at Rawul Pindi may overcome it, but
Abdurrahman knows the Russians well, and
such backing as recent events tend to make him
think that he will receive from England may
not predispose him TO offer very desperate
resistance in the event of Russian advance.
On the whole it seems fortunate that Russia Is
not ready for war;