Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1885-04-24

The Boston Journals correspondent IN
London had an interview one day last
week with prominent Englishman,
holding an official position in India, who
gave some information which affords Il
plausible explanation of the peculiar
course of the English government III rela-
ton to the Anglo-Russo-A Afghan complica-
ton. He said
THE question Is whether the Afghans
are our allies or not. Amcer Abdurrah-
man has practically refused to allow
British troops to enter AlghaniStan. This
fact changes the whole situation. After
vowing eternal friendship 70 England he
Is dickering with Russia
Does England then consider herself ali
solved from her obligations to protect the
Atghans against Russia II nder existing
circumstances, yes. How can England
fight for TERRITORY which the Ameer is per
fectly willing to surrender =
III there il to be no war why have the
extensive naval and military preparations
been made Was it To prevent war by Il
SHOW of force, or was il because the minis
tiers did not know their own minds =
Neither of these explanations is quite
correct. There is some truth in both.
Those preparations were ordered long be
fore the meeting of Lord Dutlrrin and the
Amcer and before any one could have fore
told It's result. The government did not
know then whether we were to fight or
not 1t was, therefore, only com
monty prudent to make ready for
war. 1t has been worth all the
money ii has cost to overhaul the army
and navy establishments in order to find
just what our fighting strength Is
But you think that war with Russia is
still among the future probabilities - Il
think il is Il certainty of the future. Ii
l... Il 4. al ,l
ble that it viii be deferred any longer
How VIII the war he brought about ~
Russia will not he satisfied with pcnj-
deh or even Herdt. She will continue to
push southward toward the Arabian Sea,
as she has been doing for years. In this
progress, through country whose peO-
pie are insuinCtlVely hostile, she i certain
to become embroiled with the Afghans.
The assistance of England will not only
DE accepted-it will be implOrcd. Then,
too England can dictate the terms Of her
assistance and can enter upon war with
far better prospects than now of checking
the Russian advance and crushing Rus
sian pretenSiOn.'
In connection with this statement it
may be well to recur to Il Russian view of
the controversy with England, given by
the Russian General Soboleif in the Rus
sian journal, the Russ, last January:
LAS to our course of antagonism in
Asia" said the Russian general, Eng
land herself threw down the gauntlet at
Sebastopol, and if the Russian flag now
floats over Merv, the English have them
| selves to blame. We accepted their chal-
lenge it now rests with them whether
there is to be IA Russian invasion of India
or not. But we hope the time has come
when English strategists viii take into
consideration the 100000 troops of the
Caucasus and the 100000 in reserve of
Turkestan and Western Siberia besides
another army of half million behind in
European Russia, and will look on the
map and see what may happen If n
Russian corps of 2OOGO men, accompan'
led by another of 100000 of splen-
did irregular cavalry, passes through
Herat and Balah into India, and pro
| claims the independence of the native
population. Let England think well of
the consequence of Russia deciding t.
take up arms against her. Russia does
not want India, she wants the Bosphorus.
But the possession of the Bosphorus
means the control of "A territory in Euro
pean Turkey as large as Great Britain
and on the opposite side of the channel
one as large as Germany, France anC
Austria combined, with Il population al
together of twenty-three millions. Other.
might be content to see Russia falling
heir to this rich possession. But Eng
land will fight before she will permit it
/ Russia will temporize, if temporzing will
best accomplish her object; she vii
wait, if waiting seems to be n necessity
but yield the object of her dearest hopes
aud ambitions, never.
! The death is announced Of Constantin,
Bossetti, the Roumanian poe and states