Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-02-28
DAILY pOsTINIELLlGEkCER
rms e.rswaY OF IssIA.

known lands Of A@qksA& Ast% rA~i9T s1'7
truss and alarm 10 EugisBd, and Rakf
the future look very 6sTk 20 the patfi'
osie Engiishnan who strives 20 per int
is. Il esnnSt Sc doubted that strns-
gle for tie POSSESSION d india nsss TAR
plaee within tbs psrs ten gsarz, and iE
such q struggle The sdvKntses Snl D
entirely On the side o: the Esss1ans'
This viii BE- tsiSeisIiy true, II tie pres
~nt Russian advance on Hsrei is DOT
checked.
Peter tie Great, almost tao eeHiuries
ago. formulated the policy Of sIisrss'oz
10 the sssIik and sDuih east which hA'
been fsii wed hT the Russian GovsrL-
msnf With sueeesa for vbiok Peter
could hardly have dared 70 Eope- That
great monarch 'Eas utse enough TO SO
that .ha fu,ars Of Earops was IN the
hands ST Rnssi,, and By bic sxAmpi.
and his .eackitgs be impressed spon
his ssesaasora the nscessity for care
ful strengthening Of Russian poser ard
q broad extension Of Rassian dominion.
he saw the future strength Of bis eooD-
try in the wealts Of India, and even
daring bis life time be set 10 motion the
forces that are today thrsats ming tie
Anglo Indian EtnpirG He Was deter
mined that the fe.are should witness
the Czas. ~ietiine undrsputed sssy
u .lIt IA. X atfGa
ssa. Az early az l7l7 be dispatched an
army into tbs arid region lying between |
India and the Caspian Ssa, bat II was
defeated by the Knan Of khtya asd
s7mpslled 20 withdraw from the eoun-
try.
Since that tims a difisreat policy has
bsen porsaed. Until very recent years
open war was seldom resorted to 10 the |
dealings with ths Tribes Of TurkssiAu. |
Instead, msrciIsss Diplomacy was osed- |
BY ths intriguas OF Russian agents
quarrels we're fomen.ed between the
various tribes. Khan WAS set against
khan, and the petty princes wasted
kbbaI bIFlkhu III AltEAb9AAAN 1hthV-
Mott OF these wAra we're ended by
Russia going 30 the aid of one OF the
eombatauts. and the close Of each saw |
the line Of the Russian frontier further |
advanced. Sach an advance was
necessarily slow aud snbisct to frequent |
Interruptions. so that atty yeats ago
strip Of almost iinpassabls country still |
separated Basaian territory from India,
where in the m,lantims England had |
reared al EASTERN Empire. In 1850 |
however, q rapid advance began along
the line Of the s,r DArya river, which |
was only slightly delayed by the Cfi
moan war. In 1865 the Khanats OF
Bokhara vas conquered, and virtually |
passed under Russian control, although |
IL was allowed 10 Tetaia semi indie |
pendsnce. Russia vas thus hfmly |
established 10 the midst of furkessan
Fifteen years ago the three straieeetie
points whiet. IN t1s opinion Of EnRlish |
engineers aad ofilssrs, comm ,ndsd the |
approach to india. we're Kniva. New |
and Hsrat. khlVa. the most distaui
from India, wsa captured By the Has
slams under asEnral kaeftaAn In 1873 |
after brilliant champaign. This action |
elnssd muah excitement IN England, |
but the q lserbm,nt did uothing more |
than 10 announces that q Russian ad- |
vance 10 Mery would be consid |
cred en- aet Of hostility. Rnssi4 dis- |
claimed all intention of a further
advance, has did not check the
aggressive operations of Ksuffm IN. The
steady progress tosard India was con
tinned. The Turko. Russian war Of
1877 delayed matters somewhat, bat in
1881 the terrible battle Of Cock Iepe
was won by Genera skobelefi. and the
power Of she Tartar tribes vas broken
forever. Since tAen Rassia's ad-
vance has been ragid, her dsreiniou has
been firmly established through ali
Turkestan. aud IN lsss the Russian aae
vas boldly lung from the ramparss Of
Msry. The second strategic point vas
10 the hands Of Russia; and England.
asleep In the ATsash Gladstone, did nos
utter msrmuF.
Tbs third and oaly rcmsiBing point
Of Importance Is Hesat, which the Gag.
lish Government considers the real hey
10 lndia- II isa esty Of 5000 inhsbi.
sants, situated on Rhs Herr river, nearly
on the boundary line between Persia
and AfehaniasAn. II ia now In the peas.
ssaion Of Afghaniiaan, although IL has
changed rulers nsisy times within the
past century. 10 NSs il vas besie.sd
and captured by ,ha Persians. and Of 90
much importance did Raglan then cnn-
sider its possession TINT abe declared
var against Psrsia fer the sake Of re-
covering 70. BY tht treaty OF Tshssan
tIsS7J Persia renowned her claim 90
the city. and In 1863 ID passed into the
hands OF tho Anter uf Afehanissau.
The Importance OF this placs becomes
evident shen IL b andeus.ood THAI we're
!, oncs In the possession Of Rassia. her
armies would posse,s base from which
. campaign against India esuld b. On
asrsAken With svery assurance Of sue.
esssI The oniy route thtoaeh Afghan
issAn 10 India. the snly bIeAk by which
the Oossaok oRn erssp through tie Hin.
doc kooeh railes. Ia cOsaganded by this
city, which is certain 10 play most i'm.
portani part in .he hissary Of the near
future,
Bat whai IL the present sitaAsias
The knssiana Cor monahs have been
STRENGTHENING thsu,slve, at Mefy. Az
Rhansstan, the oaly country nov ~
nsiniHe between Russian Turkessan
and India. Is ssmrbstelT under Russian
saaasnee. In addition 70 tAla. . ere
tended dispute a. to the beaadars be-
tween Ras=is and Atshaais'an has s%sa
made IA sxena for pashing Russian
sFecpsfeswaFd antil, II the latest asws IA