The National tribune., 1885-04-16
THE WAR IN CENTRAL ASIA.


1t is probably as certain as any mortal
thing can be that the armies Of Great Britain
and Russia will be in collision within few
weeks at the farthcst The war spirit is
running high in both countries, and neither
can retreat even if it desired TO do so. The
people of Russia seem quito as anxious for
the struggle as those OF England.
As we have explained before, the contest
is for the possession of certain passes in the
mountain range which are like gates through
really wall around the north and north
west Of India ard the ranges that make up
most of the country of Aighanistan are so
many other parallel walls, penetrated at in
tervals by gaps which answer the purpose of
gates. Mery is one of these great gates and
the most northern. Herat is another and
more central. Kandahar and Kabool are to
the south, while Peshawar is the gate which
leads into India The Russians have been
making determined advances towards these
gates for years. They acquired Merv few
years ago, which brought them within
striking distance Of the India frontier.
Another step and they will be knock
ing at the very door of the Queens En-
pire. They have diplomatised aud lied
about their purpose, but have continually
pressed forward, gaining possession of one
strip of country after another, which brought
them nearer and nearer to India. The Brit
ish have accepted their excuses and explana
tons until it seems folly to accept them any
farther, and some action must be taken. We
can rest assured that this action will be reso-
lutte and well adapted TO secure the end i'll
view.
1t does not appear clear how the Russians
can fight the English to advantage in 5f-
ghanisian. II is thousands of miles away
from the Russian Capital, and great deserts
and thinly populated steppes interpose be-
tween it and any well settled portion of the
Cars domains. The nearest base of sup
plies must be the Caspian Sea, which lies
many leagues to the northgard. On the
other hand the English have at their back
the great Empire OF Hindoostan, with its
hundreds Of millions of people. This is
practically an inexhaustible reservoir from
which to draw men, food, and other war
material, and it would appear as if the Rus
sian advance, powerful as it may be, viii
be overwhelmed by the forces which Eng
land can move against it.
OF course, England will not content her
self with the purely military operations for
the defense OF the northern boundary of
Afghanistau. She will, the moment the
war breaks out, assail the Russian ports in
the Black and Baltic Seas with her immense
fleets, and reduce or destroy everything that
can be reached with their guns. In return,
Russia will attempt to let loose swarm of
cruisers and swift fri gates to prey upon the
English commerce, and in this way she
hopes TO infict a greater damage upon
England than the latter can upon her sea-
coast We, who know too well the ravages
committed By the Alabama" can readily
comprehend what damages may result from
the operations of a single swift cruiser to
commerce whose sails whiten every sea
upon the globe. The main difficulty about
such privateers would be that Russia has
few ports into which they can run for
security, coal, and reftting. They are no
worse off in this respect, however, than the
rebels were during our war.
The war once begun will last two years at
least, and probably longer. because We can
hope for nothing decisive before that time.
From a selfish point of view We can re-
ioice. The war was bound to come sooner
or later, because the ambitions of the two
countries are such that they cannot be set
tied without trial of strength. Ii Russia
proves an active and enterprising enemy GU
the sea, it viii give us back much of that
commerce which England snatched Gway
from us on account of the terror spread by
the Alabama. As Russia is our great COM
petitor III the grain market, our farmers will
have the benefits arising from her exclusion,
and the demand there will be for our pro-
ducts. Both nations are already calling on
US for arms. ammunition and provisions. and
they will Call on us still more imperativeiy