Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1885-07-20
A THREATENING OUTLOOK
IN AFGHANISTAN.

A THREATENING OUTLOOK
IN AFGHANISTAN.
1t begins to look as if the old sto-
ry were about to be written over
again on the frontiers of Afghanistan.
There can be no pacific purpose in
the steady movement of Russian
troops southwark. There are the ia
miliar premonitions of trouble. The
complaints from Russian sources that
the Afghans have advanced their
outposts suggest the pretexts which
were utilized for the movement upon
Penjdeh. The instructions said to
have been forwarded from St. Peters
burg, enjoining the Russian COM
manders for forbearance, and proba-
bly, some other meaning written be-
tween the lines. There is something
humorously suggestive in the appre-
hension expressed IL the dispatches
lest the Russian Generals should force
an encounter, contrary to the wishes
of their Government. This Is the
old method many times repeated. AL
ways there are headstrong command
ers in the field, who commit aggres-
sions which are great surprise to
the Government. Always, however,
the Government, while it may disa-
VOW responsibility for these COM
manders, and may even pretend to
reprove or degrade them, contrives to
possess itself of the fruits of their
aggression.
The point at peril now is far more
pivotal than Penjdeh. 1t is towards
Zulfikar Pass that the Russian move
ment is aimed, and Zulfikar Pass is
the key to Herat. Already it is re-
ported that the Afghans have invited
the English commission and it's small
escort into Herat to direct the de-
fences. If the Russian movement,
therefore, eliminates in an attack
upon Herat it will be directed not
only against the Afghans but the
small English contingent. Such a
movement would lead to war without
question. Whether the Russian pres
sure upon the Afghan frontier would
have relaxed on the conclusion of the
arrangement begun with Mr.. Glad
stone is question concerning which
only conjecture is possible. The
prospect of averting, for some years
at least, the collision which most OBJ
servers regard as at some time inev-
liable, would have been better GER
tainly, with Mr.. Gladstone at the
head of the English Government,
than it is now. The Russian Gov
eminent has long memory, and the
bitter and stinging words spoken by
Lord Salisbury and Lord Churchill
only few weeks ago have not beer
forgotten, we may be assured. The
indications are that the new Conserv.
alive Ministry will soon have an OPP.
portunity to test, by practical expert
ence, the seriousness of the Difficult
ties, with an inadequate and incapa
BILE treatment of which they were
wont to taunt their predecessors ir
office. >o.
/ The Russians, it is said, have be
come aggressive on the Afghan Dor
der, and seem bound to force wa
with the Afghans. The Londo,
Times recently received a dispatcl
from its special correspondent on thu
frontier saying that the Russians hav'
advanced in force to Zulfikar pass
and that they are treating Persian
territory as their own. In the Hous
of Commons on the evening of tn
18th. Sir John Lubbock, liberal, ask
ed if the government were INFORMED
that the Russians on the Afghan
! frontier had made an advance. Lor,
, Randolph Churchill, secretary for In
, dia, replied that rumor had reache,
Col. Ridgeway of the British Afgha
boundary commission, and by hir
had been transmitted to London, tina
the Russians near Zulfkar had bee
increased, but to what extent was IN
known to the government. Co
Ridgeway, Lord Randolph said, ha
moved the commission out nearer t
! Herat, whittier he had sent Captl
4 Yates and Peacock. The advanc
of the Russians according to th
! Times correspondents, has made th
D Afghans anxious, bpt they are d.
terpined resolutely to resist any a
tempt to seize their territory. The
: are puzzled at these warlike pEepar,
!. tions of tie Russians under cover {
e pacific assurapces. it is believe
( that Gen. Alikanoff, the commando
4 of the Russian advance, is determiI
S ed to force war, and that be is d
: ceiving the car in regard to his rel
d intentions. This news, coupled viii
II the statement of Lord RandolI
s. Churchill in the House of Common