The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-04-22
The Cause of War.


y. \ Tribune.
The technical question at issue be-
tween Russia aud Great Britain is q
disputed boundary. The frontier claim
ed by Afghanistan and recognized by
Russia from 1881 until the recent ad-
vance there was a line running from Har-
irud. little south of Sarakhs, to the
Oxus. The fertile section between the
Turcoman desert and the Paropamisus
was conceded to be Afghan territory even
after the Russians had secured control
of Merv and established an outpost at
Sarakhs, about 200 miles from Herat.
The boundary now claimed by NJ. Lessar
passes through Akrabat and Bala Muir
ghab. Within this disputed belt the
Russians have occupied important points
sixty miles south of the old frontier.
! Pul-i-Khatum and Sari YAH have been
garrisoned and advance guards have
been stationed at Zulficar Pass, Akrabat
and Pul-i-Khisti. Some of these out
posts have been maintained by Turco-
man allies, but the Russian commander
has been responsible for the military
advance in the valleys of the two rivers.
The chief stronghold held by the
Afghans in this contested zone is Penj-
QGH. IL was ONCuplC " bhC hmtOi
/ troops about year ago upon his receiv-
ing assurances from the British Govern
ment that his dominions extended as
| far north as the Sarakhs line. Bala
| Murghab, Garlin, Robat Pass and other
| points south of the frontier now claim
ed by Russia are also garrisoned by his
soldiers.
The Russian Government denies that
| Penideh ever belonged to either Dost
| Mohammed or Shere Ali, and claims
the right of annexing the disputed zone
as country where Turcomans have
settled The British reply to the first
count is that from 1863 to 1879 Shere
Ali and Yakoob Khan exercised sover-
eighty in the Herat plain, and that the
Sariks of Penjdeh and other tribes
north of the city paid tribute regularly
| The obvious objection offered to the
| ethnographical argument is that the
races in the disputed district are so in
termiXed that it is not practicable to
distinguish between Persians, Afghans
and Turcomans. On military grounds
the English urge that the Zulficar and
Robat passes must be occupied by the
! Government which controls Herat, since
! these are the natural outworks and gate
WAYS of Western Afghanistan and fol-
similar reasons Penjdeh must be retain
ed for the protection of the road leading
| to Maimena and Balkh. The Russians
on the other hand, contend that neu
trail zone between Turkestan and Afghan
istan cannot be marked out, and tha
the frontier must be extended so as Il
embrace on their side the northern slope:
of the Paropamisus and the valleys Of
the Harirud and the Murghab, whose
population has been protected from the
marauding raids of the Tekke and Tur
conan tribes.
The Russian and British Government:
agreed in 1873 to recognize the north
west frontier of Afghanistan ther
claimed by Shere Ali as far as the Oxus
The district west of that river was no
definitely outlined in Lord Granville.
dispatch which was made the basis Of
the agreement; and this is the territory
now in dispute. At that time the Rus
slams had barely begun their marcel
from the Caspian, and the chief purpos,
of the negotiations was to decide tha
Bokhara should fall under Russian in
fiuence and Afghanistan under that o
England. liz 1882, when great progress
had been made from the Caspian, Rus
STA re-affii med the validity of the agree
ment of 1878, and declared its readiness
TO define the frontier from the Oxus Il
Sarakhs, thus excepting the line nov
recognized by England. This was III,
work which was assigned to the Join
z Commission by the two Foreign Office
the completion of the boundary from
, the Oxus TO Sarakhs. The Russian
commissioners have failed to co-operat,
. with Sir Peter Lumsden in determining
, the frontier. NJ. Lessar was sent t,
! London with proposals for an "ethno
: graphical boundary and the advanc
, of the troops within the debatabl
: ground was ordered. This phase of tn
boundary dispute is most vexatious t.
| England. The Russians suggested tn
: Joint Commission, then abandoned il
: and seized important positions almost a
> soon as they claimed them As tn
, British Government advised the AIMEE
| to occupy Penjdeh year ago, and in
> formed him that the Sarakhs line marke
/? his frontier, 1t is now under obligation
to support him in resisting Russian az
I erosion. 1t is bound in honor to d
: this Independently of the strategical in
portance of Herat in relation to Indii