The National tribune., 1885-04-02
THE AFGHAN TROUBLE.
England and Russin Getting Ready to Fight.

England and Russia Getting Ready to Fight.
The strained relations between England and
Russia seem likely to snap at almost any mo-
ment The Russians still hold their advanced
position on the Afghan frontier, and seem de-
termined to stay there. England seems just as
determined that Russia shall withdraw Her
forces from this highway to India, on which
the Bear has been looking with hungry eyes
for many years. The British have taken a
most rcsolutc stand in the matter and insist i'll
the most unmistakablc terms on the withdraw
al of the Russian troops. England is, while
! this diplomatic fencing is proceeding, getting
ready for war on an enormous scale, ii that
should be necessary TO support the position she
has taken. Queen Victoria has sent n message
TO the House of Commons calling out the Brit
ish Reserves and the Militia for permanent
service. Preparations for war continue with
great activity at the navy yards and arscnaiS,
aud the probability of war with Russia is the
chief topic Of public interest in Great Britain.
Orders for thousands of Martini Henry rifles
and reVolyers have been sent to birmingham.
The arms are to be shipped TO Bombay as rap
idly as completed. The factories at Birming
ham are working night and day. Orders have
been given to put the steel dispatch yes-
sci Mercury, 10 guns, in readiness for imme-
diate service. lt is stated that the armOr
plated turret ships Devastation and Colossus
and the corvette Bachante together with the
troop-ship Orontes, are also under preparations
for sea. Several of the swiftest ocean steamers
have been chartered for transport service in
Guiding the America and Arizona. Orders have
been sent to the Mediterranean stations to have
all the magazines overhauled to see that the
ammunition OIL hand is up To the normal
standard in quality and quantity, and to pre-
pare ali gunboats and torpedo vessels at the
stations 10 be put into commission for SCI; ser
vice. The Armour Packing Company, OF Chi
hos rasnivnl ono. bpr pah hja nrIpr from ilr
British War Department for 5000 additional
cases OF canned beef representing about $50.
900 pounds, and another proposal for 10000
additional cases, which, however could not be
illed within the time limited.
The English have sent peremptOry demand
TO St. Petersburg for reply to the dispatch of
March l6 which proposed that both Russia and
England should withdraw their troops from the
disputed territory in the north Of Afghanistan
until the boundary should be defined by the
international Commission appointed several
months ago for that purpose. II is not believed,
however, that Russia will reply, except through
the mouth of a cannon.
The strategic position Of Afghanstan is due
TO the fact that it is the crest of the great table
land which forms the interior and the summit
of the immense Continent of Asia. 1t is fit
tingly called by the nations there the roof of
the world as the land slopes down in each di-
rectiOn for thousands of miles towards the sur
rounding ocean. This great roof is traversed
by mountain ranges which are the boundaries
of the great empires on the north, east, west.
and south Of il. Afghanisan is rugged coun-
try, lying between the greater Of these ranges,
and 1T abounds III passes through which all
travel from the north or east or west must pass
in order To reach Hindostan.. Consequently il
is of the highest Importance that its passes
should be held by some power not inimical to
the British rule The British policy has o5cil-
hot ,t,t
dependent power and making il buffer against
Russian aggression, converting it into de-
pendency OF Great Britain and garrisoning its
passes with British troops. OF course il would
seem that the cheaper and more sensible policy
would be that Of building up the independence
OF Atghanstan and making it strong enough
TO resist Russian CncrOachmeut5. DiSraCli and
the Tories have favored the former policy,
while Gladstone and the Liberals have been
supporters Of the latter.
Previous to the subjugation OF India by the
British, the foreign invasion which swept the
plains of Hindostan always came by way of
hfghanistan, and il is apparently Russia's in
tention to endcayOr to reach that spot by this
mc-hODored route. Afghanistan has caused
great amount of trouble TO England during the
last century. In 1893 Xemaun was King of the
country, aud be conceived the idea of cOnsoli-
dating the MahOmetan power Of India, in
which project he was supposed to be aided by
the RuSSlanS IhiS TumOr was regarded IN
such serions light by the English that an
army was at once dispatched to the frontier to
keep the Afghans in check in case movement
was made At the same time an alliance was
made between Persia and England, thus piac-
ing Afghanstan between two fires. The plans
of Icmann were. however, frustrated by con-
test between him and his brothers, which
ended in his abdication and the accession of
Mahomct TO the throne. In 1923 this Prince
also abdicatcd, and Afghanistan came under
the rule OF three brothers, the oldest OF whom,
Dost Mahomet ruled Caboul, the most i'm
portaDt division Of the country. In 1893 Eng
land declared war against Afghanistan on the
Runiect Singh, in the Punjaub, but in reality
because that Prince was friendly to Russia
The English had a long and bloody war, out Of
which, of course, they came victorious. Dost
Mahomot then concluded TO make peace with
his c0nqnerors, and remained their ally until
his death in 1868. Since that time there has
regard to the northern frontier Of Afghanistan.
THIS dispute was supposed to be settled few
years since by treaty with Turlistan, a coun-
try virtually ruled by Russia, which fixed upon
the upper Oxus River as the boundary. This
treaty was the work Of Great Britain, who hoped
thereby to check the advance of Russia, but the
trouble has again broken out, and it seems this
time that nothing but bloody war can settle
the difficulty.
The latest dispatches from Europe point to-
wards peaceful solution of the difficulty, and
it is rumored that Russia's answer TO England's
demand for the withdrawal of troops from the
Afghan frontier will be q concession to that de-