The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-09
THE GENERAL SITUATION.
Neither Country Wishes War. but the Latter
Will Fight if Necessary.

LONDON, March TN all the capitals of
western Europe there is general idea that
Russia does not want war, but that she does
African embarrassment in order to grab all that
is safe to touch short of provoking actual hostil-
tiles. England wants war even less, but she is
in the awkard position of having declared that
certain things would be casus belli, and these
things Russia has coolly DONE The Russian
forces On the frontier are in the command of
Gen. Komaroff, who is hot-headed Slavophil,
and who, it is quite likely, has exceeded at least
the spirit of his instructions; but the imperial
authorities are too proud to order him to with
draw.
On the other hand, England has had to solve
her doubts of the Ameers fidelity by giving
pledges to defend every inch of his territory,
and Sir Peter Lumsden, who is at the head of
the English half of the boundary commission,
has had to forestall the Russian attempts to
bride the Afghan garrisons at the outposts by
advising them to fight if the Russians ad-
vanced, and by promising English aid. 1t
seems difficult to discover whether the territory
in dispute really belongs to the Ameer OF not for
there is mass of testimony on both sides. But
nothing is clearer than that. three years ago,
the Russian frontier was 500 miles away from
Herat, and now it is short march from Herat;
Sarakhs itself is only 200 miles from Herat,
Palikhatum is only $50, and the new frontier
proposed by NJ. Lessar only eighty miles The
frontier which was rearranged by the Russians
in the recent General Shaft map is only thirty
miles distant.
Of course there is the usual talk that every
thing depends on Prince Bismarck whether war
ispermitted, and the timorous souls and quid
nuncs find great comfort in the visit of Bis
marcks son Herbert, whom they suspect of hav-
ing an olive branch concealed on his person. AS
matter of fact in the present situation, much
more is likely to depend on the strength of Gen.
Komarof's positions and the state of his COM
mssariat than on Prince Bismarck's attitude.
The Russians certainly did not begin their pres
ent game without an understanding at Berlin
that they were to be allowed to play itout in
their own way, and it is too late now for the
German Chancellor to interfere, even if he de-
sired to do so, and no number of family visits
can change the situation. This is the
only intelligent inference from his recent speech,
which was that he washed his hands of the con-
sequences of Mr.. Gladstone's foreign policy. A
great deal is said, Also about the initial Liberal
mistake of abandoning German alliance for an
illusory friendship with perfidious and selfish
France, which deserted England the moment
the Egyptian trouble arose, and much is further
said of the necessity of reversal now, as Lord
Palmerson reversed his policy in 1859 when he
turned sharply around to the Austrian side after
France had annexed Savoy
Engshmen are much mystifed by the intri-
cate essays of their newspapers on the balance
OF power in Europe, and disturbed to the very
soul by the wretched way that things seem to be
going ali around, but they quite willing to
have it out now with Russia, if need be, and they
would, fancy, resent very stoutly any sgu on