New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-04-30
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE.


|. The Russians have appointed General Roma
rolf chief dipomatist. They have relieved M
de Giers and NJ. Lessar from the necessity Oh
practising assimilation and intrigue IN Oh
Petersburg and London and have empowereu
their soldiers to negotiate in the open helu TOT
tho captnre of Herat The diplomatic cam
naipn NAV drag along YEARLY few days or
nossiblv weeks. but the interest in it has passed.
The advance of General Komarof's forces TO
Marnchak discloses the spirit in which the
hattie of Pepideh is to be explained and justi-
fed. The army is to swoop down upon Herat
The only reputation to be made Tor Dreach Oh
faith without parallel in the recent history OIL
nations is tiger-lke spring upon the Ameers
HELPLESS garrisons The diplomatic farce Is
brought to an end, and tho Russians, no longer
laughing behind their sleeves. plume them
selves upon having outwitted the English in the
council chamber and outmanGuvrcd them for
favorable positions in the field. They GER
toiply have done this. But they have used false
weights and lying balances; they have been
playing fast and loose with their covenanteu
faith and they enter upon an unrighteous war
with consciousness that theirs is the quit anu
that the chances of battle may follow the scales
of eternal Justice.
The military aspects Of the occupation OF
Maruchak require only slight explanation. IL
marks an advance of twenty miles from
Penjdeh along the Murghab and Ia probably
designed TO cut of communications between
Herat and the northern line of Afghan garri-
sons stretching from Maimene To Balkh, Bamlan
and Cabul Thirty miles beyond Maruchak Is
Bala Murghab. whence there is direct and easy
road of 1870 miles to Herat. The distance from
Penideh To Herat by way of the Kushk Valley
is also 1870 miles, so that che Russians II plan :
ming descent from the Mirghab are making
detour of fifty miles. Both the Kushk and the
Murghab are on the line of advance from Merv,
which is $50 miles from Askabad. The Russian
rein forcements will undoubtedly be dispatched
to Sarakhs in place of Merv, great saving In
distance. and it ia not improbable that the main
advance will eventually be conducted along the
Herirud TO Herat. The Russian force actually
on the ground has been estimated at $4,000,
but probably does not exceed %. 900 or 900.
1t can, however, BIZ heavily reinforced from the
Caspian in the course of the campaign, and al
ready outnumbers the Amoer's army in Western
Afchanistan.
The Indian Government has been exercising
during the last month ~ CoHpitlc WI
all dispatches sent to London. Accordingly it
is impossible to determine how large force Is
in readiness to take the field and to push on To
Candahar and Herat. The Commissary Depart
ment is reported To- have completed arrange
ments for moving and supplying two army
CORDS. with an available fighting force Of
81 900 men and over $4,000 followers. With
achievements from the Soudan and England,
this force can be doubled during the first month
of the campaign, and largely increased from
India. where the total number of fighting mon
is $4,000, including 10000 British troops.
100000 natives under British officers, and
$50, 900 native auxlliaries. How large con-
tingent can be spared from tho Indian garrison
and how rapidly rcinforcements can be sup
piled from England. it is idle at present to con-
lecture. II is doubtful. however, If an army ex-
ceeding $4,000 or 100000 men can be en-
ployed on either side in active operations IN
Western Atghanistan. Armies can neither live
nor fight in the air. The lines of communica-
ton are too long TO admit of fighting on
European scale, and tho difficulties in the way
of supplying great armies arrayed against each
other in the plain of llerat cannot be readily
overcome. The war now opening promises
to be a long one involving enormous expense,
but conducted on each side by comparativ ely
small armies