The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1885-04-17
FREDERICK w. BAKER Editor.
B f. l. AIR Md.
The Impending Foreign War.

The prospect of O war between Russia and
England, growing out of Entertainments by
the former on Afghanistan, thereby indirect
ly threatening British supremacy in India, is
daily becoming more imminent. 1t is hardly
possible for diplomacy to avert the catastro-
phe. War between these countries has been
almost precipitated indeed, by an attack of
the Russians upon an Afghan force, at
Penjdeh, on the Kushk river, in which 500
Afghans were killed. The affair has not
been satisfactorily ext lained by Russia,
whose object, doubtless, is to gain time in
which to hurry forward rcinforcements to
the present scene of action, and to occupy
strategic points before tile English forces ar
rive. The battle, it is said, was brought on
in the following manner: Some English Of
ficers from the Afghan camp were dining
with Russian officers in the camp of the lat
ter. Whsn about to return to their quarters
they were provided with Russian escort.
Russian officers, disguised as privates, COM
posed the escort, and while in the Afghan
camp acted the part of spies. One of the
Russians being seen making notes in his
pocket-book, an Afghan endeavored to take
the book from him. A struggle ensued, a
gun was fired, the Russian officers retired
and the battle took place.
England has demanded that pending nego-
tiations the Russian forces shall retire from
the positions they occupy. The latter decline
to accede to this and therefore both nations
are preparing for war. The contest will not
be confined TO the remote quarter of the
world where it originated, but will be fought
wherever English and Russian forces meet, on
sea or on land. England has the superiority
over her antagonist in money, arms, dis
ciplined troops and ships OF war; but the
Russians are also hard fighters, and since the
Crmean war her army and navy have been
greatly improved.
1t is said to be an i'll wind that blows no
good to any one, and therefore the effect of
the rumors Of war has already been to create
furry in the grain market in this country,
wheat having advanced to over dollar
bushel. Hostiities will at once check the
expectation of wheat from Russia, and both
combatants will look to the Uuited States for
food supplies Even canned goods may re,
ceive boom if the war should proceed.
The outcome of the matter can not be con-
jectured. Turkey and Germany may be
drawn into the vortex, ON one side or the
other, and in the end the present national
boundaries may be changed entirely.
In these days of Krupp and Calling guns,
armor-plated steam vessels, and all the other
appliances for hurting men into eternity by
the thousands, wars in general, can not last
long but they are nevertheless cruel and de-
vastating. A war between England and
Russia will leave both countries with in
creased debts, the burden of which will be
felt more oppressiyely by the poor than by
the rich, besides destroying vast number Of
the bone and sinew of both lands. There
fore while foreign war might benefit bust
ness in our own country, it would do so at
fearful cost to the world and humanity.