The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1885-05-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Col. I. F. Rodenbough's book on Afshans,an will
probably be quite as valuable few months hence as ii
is now for the settlement which is apparently about
to be reached between England and Russia, through
the servlty of the Gladstone Ministry, can only
amount to hollow truce postpouing rihe moment
the inevitable contest. This rugged, mountainous
country and its Inhabitants must hereafter be con.
slant source OF interest," for 1t Is now the bufer
between England and Russia In Asia, every move in
Its internal politics and every border raid will i'm
peril the peace Of the world. And a more unsatls.
factory neutral zone between two great powers
could hardly be imagined. The ideal neutral zone
or sfnall state to serve buffer would be one in
which there was strong and stable government,
and in which the people were homogeneous in race
and religion and tenacious of their liberty. AT.
ghanistan, however, contains a great variety OF
races who are by no means fond OF each other.
Even the dominant race, the Afehahs are split up
into clans, like the Durans and ahilsas which hate
each other and are often at war for supremacy.
But besides the Afrhans there are uzbees, who
form the majority OF the inhabitants in that portion
OF Afghanistan lying north of the great Hindu Kush
Mountains. They are Turkish race, and next to
them in numbers in Afghan Turkestan are the
Ia1icks or Parswans of 1ranian descent. These are
also very numerous in Afghanistan proper and they
as well as the kizilbashes Persahized Turks are
scattered through Afghanistan as traders aericutu-
rists, and artisans. The most important MONAGHAN
race under the Ameers sway are the Hasaras, who
are Mongols and occupy large part of the mount
ainous region In northwestern Afghanistan, from the
upper valleys OF the Hindu Kush and along the
Paropamisus range TO the Herat region. They pay
tribute, when compelled, to the Ameer of Cabul, but
are disaected and could probably be easily seduced
from their allegiance by the Russians, who in the
Penideh oasis will be exceedingly well situated for
carrying on the intrigues In which they are so ex-
pert The population OF Hetat is chiefly of Persian
Descent and with Russia seated In the valleys OF the
kushk and Murghab commanding the trade routes to
the Uzbeg Khanates in the Oxus Watershed, IL
would not be long before the Cars influence would
be paramount in at least one-half of Afghanistan,
even assuming that the ruler OF Cabul and the Az
ghan tribes adhere TO the British alliance Col.
Rodenbough's g volume contains large amount of
valuable statlstical, HISTORICAL and Typographical in
formation about MRhanistan and the approaches TO
It from India or from the Caspian. and is in every
respect a valuable book of reference. That IT was
compiled in some haste is shown by the fact that the
portrait of Lieut.. Gen. Roberts gives his rank ~
only ma,9r general Though this error Is not carried
Received from Brentano.
The United Serrice: A Monthly Magazine
Devoted TO the Interests Of the Military Naval and
Civil Service. New York: sos Broadway. The May
number of this standard publication the only service
monthly printed in the United States, is at hand and
Is full OF excellent matter devoted TO the treatment
OF topics of interest to the general reader as well as
10 those In the military and naval service The first
paper Of the present issue is sketchy description of
the battle OF Five Forks, seen by Gen. Horatio c.
King, OF Sherldan's Cavalry Corps. While II fur
nishes no new historical Information concerning
that much discussed action is lively and gives an
excellent account of the cavalry operations that day
Gen. Stone concludes his monograph on "The British
Military Operations In the Soudan, OF the most
valuable pectS upon the subject which has appeared
In print. He Is strongly anti-British and tells well
the story of imbecility and incapacty that has
marked every step OF this unfortunate business from
nIst TO last The wonder Is how officers who are
presumed to know something OF their business could
ever have made blunders that ordinary common
sense without any military training. might have fore
seen and avoided. One OF the very best articles
IN this Impression is that translated from the
French by Mai. William II. Powell, entitled The
French Army" Mai. Powell had caught admirably
the force and pith OF the difficult French idiom and
rendered II into English with much accuracy and
spirit. One sentence would seem to Indicate thar
the French legislator is about Ignorant of military
needs as Is the average American Congressman.
"The worst that our army has to contend with saws
French colonel, ''are the deputies egisators) and
the ministers of war; "Commodore John Barry
Senior oicer Of the United States Navy from 1878 10
1893 isan interesting chapter Of early naval his
tory by the late Admiral Preble. George II. Howard
OF Washington, contributes rather clever poem en-
titled The Song of the Sword" J. K. Vail briefly
shows the Dcompleteness OF the civil service act In
on :" The Thirty Years War" Is full Of interesting
technique touching the military operations of the
Swedes. Other matter upon various topics well
selected, completes the number.
The most sumptuous and properly illustrated vol
ume which has ever been issued with the city of
Washington for its subject is The National Cap
ial, Past and Present The Story OF Its settlement
Progress, and Development; with Profuse Iustra-
lions OF Its Historical Objects. Public BuildlDgs,
Memorial Statuary, aud Beautiful Homes" BY
stilson Hutchns, editor OF the Washington Posi-
and Joseph West Moore, washington: The Post
Publishing Company 1t is large and very hand
some volume, containing much curious, useful, and
interesting information. Some errors in the histoTl-
cal portions we shall point out hereafter.