Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-03-23
THE AFGHANISTAN DIFFICULTY.
Situation of Affairs Between England
and Russia.

Situation of Affairs Between England
and Russia.
Much prominence is given in our dis
patches to the present difficulty between
England and Russia, over the conflict of
jurisdiction in Afghanistan, and with
which the readers of the RECORD UNION
are somewhat familiar. The situation has
been brief and tersely summed up as fol-
lows:
Two years ago the Russian conquest of
the Merv Oasis i'll the Turkoman desert
brought the Russian line within fifty miles
of the frontier of Afghanistan, and con-
sequently within 200 miles of Herat This
city has been called the key of India, be-
through the Himalayas open from the
north. Its strategic importance in connec-
ton with the English control of India has
long been recognized, and it has been a
fixed principle in English policy that no
Continental power should control Herat
English influence in Afghanistan has made
it kind of neutral belt between India and
the Russian advance. BY virtue of con-
quest Russia claims all the territory
which belonged to the conquered
Turlomans, but, unfortunately, the
boundary line between Afghanistan and
the Turkoman possessions has never been
defined, and it was to settle this question
that, ON England's proposal, joint COM
mission was organized representing Eng
land, Russia and Afghanistan, to go over
the ground and fix upon the boundary
lines The English and Afghanistan COM
missioners have been on the ground for
nearly a year, but on one preteXt or another
the Russian commissioner has kept out of
the way Meanwhile Russian geographer
has been through the country and now
makes demand on behalf of Russia which
would give the latter country wedge of
territory between the two principal rivers,
and commanding the road from Herat to
Meshed This claim begs the whole ques-
ton at dispute, since it would give Russia
a large slice of what is in all probability
Afghanistan territory, and place them in a
position which would be continual men
ace of the English possessions in India.
The general assertion and belief than the
position and territory under dispute is ''the
gate to India" and hence that the Russians
are seeking to have it " left aiar " for their
convenience to swoop down upon the Brit
ish possessions in India, is more fanciful
than real. There are only three ways into
Hindostan from Afghanistan. These are
the Khyber Pass, the Koorum valley, and
the Bolan Pass. All the way from Cabul
to Peshawar, which is the furthest frontier
city of India, the road lies through series
OF passes OF the widest and ruggedest de-
scription Imaginable, so that from the Jug
duiluck Pass to the mouth of the khyber
the road is strewn with colossal powders.
filled with swift-howing and dangerous
mountain streams. hemmed in between
gigantic precipices, and infested by the
most thieYing and murderous tribe of all
Afghanistan, the Guilzais The route by
the Koorum valley is easier, but it con-
tains the terrible Shuturgurdun Il. G.,
. Cancels Neck ~ Pass, which is $4,000
feet high; the long HaZardarakht defilc,
the pass of the Paiwar Kotul. the deep
and dangerous Koorum river, which
has to be forded again and again the
tortuous and narrow pass of the Dur
waza (or gate ", and other obstacles
which would compel any army 10 move
almost at a snail's pace. As for the Bolan
Pass, its general characteristics are the
same as those of the Khyber-tbat is to
say, all the way from Kandahar to the
River Indus, the road is bowldcr-strewn,
narrow, torn with streams, Hanled with
prodigious precipiceS and generally as hot
as limbo. 1t is evident that even a small
force could take up position in any one
Oi tueSe passes anu GllSCtudlly Ddr Inc pro-
gress even of a powerful army, much in
the same way as Leonidas and his immortal
800 kept back the Persian hosts in the Pass
of Thermopyle OF course, it is ridiculous
to assume that the Russians could take
India by surprise, because months before
she could reach midas frontier England
would learn her movements and have time
to meet them with formidable force.
What the temporary arrangement in the
nature of settlement, which Gladstone an
nounces has been entered into between
England and Russia, will amount to, it is
difficult now to determine, but the fact
that the acquisition of territory is always
in the foreground with both these powers,
and that their constant explanations and
assertions ON all convenient occasions to
the contrary are for diplomatic purposes
rather than to enlighten with truth, rem
ders il quite probable that the cessation of
aggressive movements will be only for a
time.