St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-23
COMPLICATIONS OF THE EASTERN
OEFSGTOV

From the tone of recent cables II appears
that Russian aggressions in Afghanistan may
very seriously barrass England at this crit
zeal iuncture. The reports of Russian ad-
vance to Herat are but too well confirmed for
the peace of mind of the GLADSTONE govern
menl which is already In the tiroes of sov-
ing the Egyptian problem, which is daily be-
coming more difficult OF solution. 1t need
not strike the country with surprise to read
any day of an alliance. offensive and de-
fensive, OF England, Italy and Turkey.
With the menace of Russian ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In Afghanistan aud an inevitable campaign
against the aggressive Moslem and the still
more deadly disease of the malarlal summer
in the Iudan, even the pomp and pride Of
the English power may be so far hum bled
to accept the aid of despised Italy aud ask as
sistlnce from ''the unspeakable Turk"
And the anomalous spectacle of an alliance
between the Moslem and the Christian Greek
of the frgid North allied against these powers
may be seen. In the cllsl of arms
which resound but for the advancement
OF trade lines and the exten sion OF territorial
domain, hereditary enemies my b. in luced
under the same banner. Governments
which fight for power rather than principle
are not choice in the selection of means to
attain an end. Even the religious prejudices
of centuries may be sunk in avdrica ana
greed. A conf ct at this time between Eng
land and Russia in Afghan; stan could but
lead to serious comp ications OF the Eastern
question, eventually eliminating in a gen
eral European war in which Germany ana
France and Austria caull hardly remain
neutral. And ii England should become
seriously crippled or even greatly embar-
rassed, an uprising in India at which Chris
tendon would stand aghast could bat be the
result. Tn lesson t. be learned by the
United States from those Eastern eompica-
tons is that our territorial limits should never
be extended on the north or on the south,
except by a most amcable arrangement on
the part of all of the parties at interest or
even eollaterally concerned. The mission
of this government should ever be one of
peace and quiet struggle for commercial
supremacy on strictly business principles.
Territorial acquisition through the force Of
arms or by mischievouS diplomacy should
ever meet with the popular condemnation.
The history of nations teaches US that the pow
ers which have sought to achieve distinction
By conquest eventually overreached the m
selves and the unwieldly fabrics fell to pieces
of their own dead weight The time will
come when England, whose boast has been
that the sun rises and sets on her posses-
SONS, will lose her prestige among the ma
tons of the world from territorial agrandiZc-
ment. Russia can but meet with like fate,
with nihilism as an insiduOus factor. The
German empire will yet fall victim to social
ism and the advance of a more enlightened
thought in the direction of a republican form
of governm mt. If the experiment now be-
ing tried in F ance shall prove a success by
the test Of time, Germany will become a
tranquil republic. England's immediate
menace is from the present com pications n
Soudan and Afghanistan. the Irish question
and the conflict of conservative and liberal
opinion at home. The student of his
tory at this distance may see much
TO point moral as well as to adorn a tale in
the status in the East The situation, to use
diplomatic phrase, is delicate and it may
become critical at any moment. While
Americans generally can but hope that the
English arms will triumph and the English
language become the universal dialect Of the
civilized nations OF the earth, because 1t is
Identical with the American, yet there Is
feeling that our mother country is too grasp
ing and can hut come to a disastrous end.