Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-04-17
THE RACE TO HERAT.
The Principal Places in Central Asia
and Means of transportation.


anu means Oh ~ a"1 POI '3'i"H'
In the event Of war between England
and Russia. saws the New York Tribune.
while orerations win dorbtloss no oon-
uuc'eu ~ europe a. wen as ASA ~ =
certain thaJ one OF the hrst o'lectNe
points VIII be the possession OF Herat.
It's therefore imnortant 10 know the f.
c1itios ohstoolos dist.,,l,s ana income If
t-...s~
trans 3ol '"1l'h On DOM Si0e9' An" a. -Ne
PROBABILITY is tnat the fate u Inc 'hey OF
India viii be decided before reinforce
ments can reach tha army Of India on the
one hand or fbe. army at Tho caucasus on
the other IL is necessary 10 examine. in
the first place. the means Immediately
available on either side.
In the case 81 Russia the Army Of the
CaUca-us 900 G.I strong ION paparI when
modified. would 81 the first base 70 sup
nlv. The cdmrlttion Of he TfIs-Baku
RAILWAY Gmuisbas the distance from the
Black sea % the Caspian 70 one day,
From Baku no Nichqo'0vsk by steamer
occuuie- from one t0 two davs. From
Aiicbaalovsh 20 Ge0k-Tene and perhaps
even now up 10 Askabad, extends the
Tran-easpian Railway and tramrOad.
TIL distance from Michacl0ysk 10 Aska-
bad j. 300 miles. From Askabad ~ He
rat VIA Sarakhs Is 260. If the distance
between the Caspian and Askabad is
covered hv railroad. me whole dis
lance to be traversed on foot before
reaching Herat would be 2l0miles. TIE
Russians march fifteen miles day. They
should. therefore. lie able 70 reach Herat
with a strong fOrcc-sav 10000 men-fr0m
the Caucasus. i'm twenty dav Another
consideration which gives them the adj
vantage in the race is the fact that iu
Central Asia the Russians march with
one camel TO every three men. The Eng
lish army marching upon Candahar in
1879 employed one camel and one camp
follower to every NnglO-IDdian soldier. If
the same proportion is now observed the
British impedimeuta viii be very greatly
larger t an the Russian.
The English in 1870 planned and began
10 build a railway from Quettah 10 Cauda-
har, but on the withdrawal Of the expedi-
ton bv Mr. Glad.t0ne's government this
important project was abandoned, and
the rails already laid We're taken up. Had
that line been completed il would have
probably secured the safety of Herat: but
as il is. the army must march from Duet.
tab to Candahar, and thence to Herat. a
distance of 51I miles. occupying "a DAYS.
allowing u miles dav TO the marches,
which. as the country between Ouettah
and Herat is much more difficult than
that between Askabad and Herat. is
probably too liberal an allowance. IT.
then. the English have 10000 men al
Ouettah at the same time that the Rus
SLAMS organize a similar force at Askabad.
the Russians would have the advantage
in a race % Herat Of at least fourteen
DAYS: very important consideration,
when 50 much may depend upon rapidity
Of operations.
But when the secondary question of the
reinforcement of the respective forces on
the field in Central Asia comes to he ex-
amined the ADVANTAGE ON the side Of
Russia appears 10 be- still greater. OF
course England would attempt. in the first
place. to prevent the TRANSPORT of troOps
from Odessa to Poti bventering the Black
Sea with her ironclads. BY a convention
with the Porte she NAV effect this. but
Russia will still possess two practcahle
military routes if the communications he
tween Odessa and Poti are severed. one
Of them extends from VIadikarkaz. at the