The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-06-07
FOREIGN NOTES.

The Calcutta ERgitsloDon learns that is the frm
conviction of Yakoob Khan that It would he q fatal
error on the part Of the Ameer and the British to
give up Pcnldeh lie regards the place as OF great
strategic importance, the holder OF which Is virtually
the master OF Northwestern Afghanistan and OF the
direct road TO India. This opinion s shared by very
many indian strategsts and politicians, and II is
very commonly believed that should war break out
now Russia viii be found TO have a considerable
force masscd III or near Afghan Turscstan; while IL
lne unlcmlty Us temporarily tded over, her posses
sion ot fenldeh viii mask her designs ON that
province, aud enable her 10 mature at leisure
schemes for an advance by Balkh and Fyzabad.
curious and exceptional orcr OF assistance lthc
Alahabad correspondent of the Ddiiy Chronicle
says has been made TO the viceroy OF India by the
powager Maharani Of Raroia, in the event of n war
with Russia. The Maharn having taken note OF
the oilers OF military assistance made 10 the Indian
Government by The native princes writes to inform
inc Nccroy tha she is prepared TO raise and main
tain ~ her own expense corps OF Amazons, who
would all be Mahratt women. In explanation OF
this oiier II NAV be stated that the Mahraiti are
warlikc people nhahIting the mountainous districts
OF central India. They at one time formed power
inl kingdom, and the early history OF the Eas India
between the company and the Mahratti, In which
the warike qualities OF the latter were frequently
conspicuous
at would indeed he the irony OF faie,s says the
Pau MaU GdSehe, an our war ships of the future
should draw their supply OF fuel from the oil wells
OF Baku instead of from the colleries OF Northum-
berland and Durham That the tendency has
alrendy shaped itself In that direction there is no
19r wears me steamers on the Caspian
SHY rather than from choice TO commence with, IL Is
truei but II Is now admitted that petroleum is far
away superior TO coal for the purpose And the
matter has at last been seriously brought before the
Royal United Service Institution by Admiral Selwyn,
cono carrs , MA. ny une use o liquid fuel vessel
vessel with coal, and full seaming for twenty -fonr
Jays conld be carried ON where now 1t Ia limited TO
Tour. Ihe change from the use OF coal to oil could
be made without any alteration OF boilers or engines
other than what could be done by a ships own arti-
ncers and engineers In fact each ship would he six
times as effective as now Fortunately, we have oil
wells IN India, and under the circumstances the
sooner they are developed the beiier.n
There was a debate which may some day be re-
called as memorable In the British House of Lords,
May 18th, which showed that English public opin-
Ion is by no means unanimously supporting the new
policy OF scutting ont OF the Soudan. The Earl of
Wemyss moved as the opinion of the Lords that
until settled government had been established in
tne Eastern Soudan this country cannot relieve itself
OF me responsibilities II has incurred through the
warse operations that have in the course of the last
Two years been twice undertaken in that part of the
soudan." Lord Napier, of Mag,iaa, In secondinp
the resolution, alluded to the delay In sending an eX,
petition TO Gen. Gordon's relief, and said that by
the death OF military character sustained
great, almost an irretrievable blow. 1t was Just
at the very time when success was being attained
that we were abandoning the expedition. From
private letters which he had received 1t appeared
that Gen. Graham himself was most anxious TO 90
forward. English officers were thirty miles from
SuaSin among the tribes and were perfectly safe.
IL was only necessary to get control OF the land be-
tween the Nile and the Red Sea and then we should
be In fair way to get the tribes on our SIDE Our
presence between the Red Sea and the Nile would
have had most material influence on the tribes and
would have gone long way toward the establish
ment er 81, 81 settled government at kharonm and To-
nealth OF the troops he thought 1t not probable
they would suffer more than troops In India.
Anglo-lndian opinion on the Afghan frontier
question mas from the first been practically unani-
nous, and native opinion, far as can be learned
from the vernacular press, to be of the same
color. Thus the Calcutta Hindoo Patriot, the Lead
Ing native newspaper in Bengal, in an article en-
titled The Surrender" describes the Penjdeh affair
as an insult which England would never have toler.
aied from any other Power on the face of the earth
except perhaps Germany and the United States, and
then proceeds: In India the OF the surrender
was received with positive dsmay. People had
ways keep the Northern bear far away from India,
aud that the benign rule of our gracious Sovereign
mouu w ,h rn PROSPER, ouu tnat nope mas dropped
necessary to be ready to fight redoubiabe enemy
on our own ground Peace will depend solely on
the good Will of an Asatic chief Of small power and
no great trmness In promises. The moment he
sides with Russia, or is made 10 do by means fair
or foul Russia may be considered as standing on the
borders OF Peshawur, and not at Herat Tie gate
who may use 1t when she chooses. I'VE mourn this
arrangement This unfortunate surrender not only
destroys Englands prestige which Is SO dear to us,
but also lowers her position among the great Powers
VI .uoPe, ,oi WIN Wedh frontier III lnuia she VIII
never be able to regain commanding position in
the counsels OF Europe. Would that such mishap
had been averted." Similar extracts might he col
ected In abundance from other journals, English
and yernacular. In Hindustan.
The Duke OF Argyll, In debate on the abandonment
OF the Soudan, traced all the difficulties govern
ment to the firm everlasting operation the doctrine
maintained by Mr.. Gladstone that England was
oyerweighted by her responsibilities. He thought
II wrong TO abandon Africa at time when all the
other nations were awakng the value of that con-
flnenf as a Held for colonization and commerce. He
said: We have already broken the back of the re-
sistance In the Soudan and believe that a very lit
tie perseverance on the part of the British govern
ment would have enabled ii to establish stable
government We are turning away from undertak-
ing our share IN a great duty-the duty which the
light heart, but from which we are turning away
hecaiise, forsoOh we are 'overweighted.'" Allud-
ing to Lord Hartingtons announcement of the
government 8 decision, the Duke said: "There was
a passage which could not read without a feeling Of
shame and humiliation. and IL was that part of the
speech In which he stated that the Soudan would be
abandoned unless some other civilized power un-
dertakes it. What Is the power that s TO take up
Italy. which has shown considerable public spirit in
this matter, and seems to desire TO take part I'm the
civilization of Africa: Is 1t Russia? Is 1t
Belgium? Or Is 1t Bismarck? Well, my lords
British people should see now or short time
hence one or other OF the Great Powers
OF Europe landing at suakin and taking up the duty
which we have laid down; II we should see them
Egypt and opening up the millions and millions of
people who lie between Khartoum and Suakim, and
perhaps imposing dferential duties against England
and her cOmmerce-we shall bitterly regret the day
TO be animated by the consideration that England is
Overwelghted with her responsibilities