The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-04-17
THE wAR CLOUD In EUROPE.

A few DAYS ago the appTehensions OF
a conflict between England and Russia,
with little strip of Afghan territory
for a pretext, had almost subsided. The
Russians had consented to Joint Com
mission to settle the disputed question
of the Pendjeh, and there was reason to
believe that no hostilities would take
place pending the efforts to make an ad-
justment by arbitration. As the delib-
erations of a Commission are slow, the
probabilities of an Anglo-Russiau war
were dismissed for subjects of more i'm
mediate interest. But in a trice the
entire situation is changed. The Rus
SLAMS have marched into the disputed
territory and defeated the Afghan allies
ot England with great slaughter. The
attack of the Russians was made, they
allege, in consequence of the . hostile
proceedings " of the Atghans but in
what these proceedings consist does not
appear, By their own accounts the Rus
slams have opened the war, and they are
doubtless prepared to meet the conse-
ouepces that must flow from this grave
step.
The English Government has declared
the Russian version of the territorial
dispute with the Afghans was inadmis-
sible, and that England would regard
a Russian invasion of the peaceful val
| ley of the Pendjeh as hostile act
| There seems now no retreat for the
English from war unless the Russian
Governmet should promptly and explic-
lily disoWn the actions of its military
| subordinates in Asia. But from recent
| indications it is believed tha: the Gar
! has been gained over by the war party.
| In this case there will be no explanation,
the claim of Russia to the disputed re-
! giOD Will be insisted upon, and war will
! be inevitable. In the Russian Empire,
with its enormous standing armies and
1 with a powerful military aIistocracy
| eager for the glory and the spolls of con-
| quest, there is always formidable war
| party whenever a dispute arises, wheth-
/ er with Turkey, Germany or England.
| In this quarrel, which presents the op-
| portunity of extending Russian conquest
! in Asia, it will be hard for the Gar to
resist the demands of his army when
! there is no such thing as an intelligent
| public opinion in the Empire to decide
| for peace.
Should war result from the dispute in
| Afghanistan, it will be short, sharp and
| decisive, as neither parry is in a condi-
| tion TO endure a long conflict. The first
| movement of the English will be TO
! close the Russian ports on the Baltic
and Black seas. Turkey may make a
! feeble protest against the passage Of the
! Dardanelles, but the wishes Of the Sui
tan will have to yield to the military
necessities of England. Russia's only
field of military operations against Eng
land is in Asia, where the Gar can
muster immense armies to threaten the
British Empire in India. Against an
! invasion of India the English have
strong defense in a disciplined army of
Sepoys, in the loEg distance to which
the Russians would be drawn from their
base, and in the friendship of the native
! populations. The decisive battle of
this war may be fought somewhere on
the banks of the Ganges OF the Brah-
mapooIa. Philadelphia Record.