Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-05-23
MARCHING 10 HERtT

nsRcHINo 10 HERtT
o-,r rfny rsar. Of S"cc,..nd crap nss
DsplicHp psipr,rso.'. Declaration
Of Russian Policy and Prsc-
rice History II ~, R"s-
stan Increment 90 ne
key ~ India
Recently the whole civilized world
has been compelled to learn something
OF the history of the steady movement
OF Russian railways, settlements and out.
posts toward the northwestern borders
Of India. The subtlety of Russian
diplomacy its combination OF unblush-
ing audacity OF lying with FEASIBILITY
and smooth phrases, and its service
ableness in gaining time for successive
advances Of the Russian frontiers, are
getting ,olerably well understood
Most intelligent American newspaper
readers are now somewhat prepared TO
comprehend the significance of IA
nous statement made by Lord Palmer.
ston, generation ago, just before the
first overt indications OF the war that
was to break out in the Crimea, viz
"rhe policy and practice of the Rus.
sian Government have always been to
push forward It's entertainments as fast
and as far as the apathy or want of
hrmness of other governments would
allow it to go, bu, always to stop and
retire when II was met with decided
resistance, and then to wait for the
next favorable opportunity to make
another spring ON its intended victim.
In fur,herance Of this policy, the Rus
sian Government, has always had two
strings to its bow moderate language
and dsnterested professions at St.
Petersburg and at London active az.
erosion by its agents on the scene OF
operations.
The history of Russian operations
east OF the Caspian since this memor.
able paragraph was written, and of the
Russian diplomacy that has preceded
and followed each new step toward
Herat is but an extended illustration
of the "policy and practice" so epigram.
matically described by Palmers,on.
This was known by all who have
taken any considerable interest in the
developments of the ''irrepressible con
flot' between England and Russia, in
Asia. Blu, the London Times Of the
I'd inst, just received, contains a full
page account of the details OF the un
equal conflict between Russian lying,
craft and military enterprise and Eng
glish credulity, patience, hardness and
lack of enter prise.
This display of the Times is char
acteristic illustration of one of its
methods OF holding the confidence Of
the best part OF the English public.
The Times give from the English Blue
Books the first connected, absolutely
authoritative story of the race fol-
Herat' that seems likely to have
brought on the greatest war England
has ever been engaged in.
1t seems SO long ago as 1884 the
''iuepressible conflict" was called on,
by the illness of the Shah OF Persia,
and was settled amicably, the language
of Count Nesselrode protesting, iol
Russia, the most amicable sentiments
toward England. Yet within eighteen
months Sir John Mcneil, English
Minister at Teheran, SO far from finding
the peace and union" so smoothly
promised by the oleaginous Nesselrode
felt obliged to call ''the attention of Hi:
Majesty's Government and of the Eas
India Company to the danger Of the
Shah and Persia approaching by direct
conquest, or by the admission Of hi:
right of dominion, the frontiers O
India" This referred to the design:
Of Persia against the Afghan possession
Of Herat-designs that were encouraged
by the Russian Minister at the Court o
Teheran, who promised positive assist
ance' to this end, knowing that the
conquest of Herat and Candahar by the
Perslans Is, in fact, an advance fol
them toward India, il not for the pur
pose of actual invasion, certainly To-
that of intrigue and disorganization."
Aspirited diplomatic controversy con
tinues for three years, Russia constant,
disavowing the hostile designs that tn,
English Ministers are constantly dis
covering and charging on Russia. TIT
Russians kept stimulating the Persian
to capture Herat, and the latter wouls
have done so but for the rare engineer
ing ability OF Eldred Poi,ineer =;
young Englishman who directed IN,
operations of the besieged inhabitant
of Herat and defeated the Persians
In 1897 the Russian intrigues took tn,
form OF an attempt of the Russian
Minister at Teheran to capture tn,
Ameer Of Cabul as an ally, and early il
1898 Minister Mcneil advised hi
Government, OF very evident ant
dangerous collisions between Russi
and Persia that were fun of menace t,