The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-11-22
New ard Interesting Political Complications
Arising in England Which May Reunite
the GladstoneiteS and Liberal Unionists.
The German Government Proposes to In
crease the Army's Peace Footing.
The Demonstration by the Unemployed Work
ingmen of London at Trafalgar Square
Yesterday-General News by Cable.
SALISBURY oUTwITTED.
Too Great Reliance Placed Upon the Loyalty
and Patriotism of the Afghanese.


and Patriotism of the Afghanese.
LONDON, Nov. 20-Great uneasiness prevails
in official circles over the report from Afghanis-
tan that the Uzbegs have joined the Ghilzai
tribe in the revolt against the Ameer. Sir West
Rdgway, chief of the Afghan Frontier Commits
sion, has been ordered to repair at once TO Lon
don to give full information to the government
in regard to Kham-I-Ab. Lord Salisbury sees,
probably too late, that he made grave mistake
in giving way to the desires of Russia and leav-
ing the Khan Lab question open. as the revolt of
the Uzbegs will not unlikely be accompanied by
a repetition of the Penjdeh incident, but with
more serious consequences. One-t third of the
population of Afghanistan is now in revolt.
This will probably result in giving over to Rus
sia, or to anarchy under Russia's protection the
whole of the Ameers domains north of the Hin
doc Koosh. A slight examination Of the game
that Russia is credited with playing will show
that the KhamI-Ab quarrel was more than q
petty frontier dispute. few years
ago it suited party purposes to assume
that Afghanistan was sort of Asatic Switzer-
land and that the Afghans were patriots who
would guard their native country against the in
roads of both England and Russia, and
desired only to be impartially left
alone. If members of Parliament were
compelled to pass examination in Afghanis-
tan politics it would be found that the same i'm
preston still prevails among both parties. This
view about Afghanstan is cruelty wrong.
There is no such thing as an Afghan ''nation,
possessing distinct sense of it's unity as a
whole, with common political sentiments and
aspirations; and in many parts of Afghanstan
the Afghan, so far from being patriot ready to
defend his native soil, ls hated foreigner,
whose rule is detested by the inhabitants The
scare last year brought out the fact that
at Herat the Afghan is almost foreigner
among the Herates, and in Afghan
Turkestan the case is more marked,
the Afghan there being to all intents
and purposes, as much foreigner as an En-
g,ishman is in India. Throughout the whole
of the region north Of the Hindoo Koosh the
Ameer rules entirely through prestige. The
mass of the population are Uzbegs, belonging by
race to the people occupying the Russian
province of Turkestan, and the majority have
only been conquered within the last generation.
But for the cannon and rifles which Shere Ali
obtained from India, the people would probably
nave Ueeu .0nLlrely SuOQuoO, ana Russia would
have placed them under her control Immediately
after the conquest of Khiva.
tits largely due to England that the Afghans
hold the region north of the Hindoo Koosh, and
unless Lord Salisbury looks sharply after the
investment of arms and treasure in that quarter
Russia, by sudden blow, will shatter AT
CHAN prestige. The Uzbegs have already Of
fered to 60 over in a mass to the white Gar
which is as important in its way as the great
campin ground of Herat The administrative
center is Balkh, occupied by several thousand
Afghan troops It. believed that if Anglo-In-
dian troops are sent to the assistance of the
Ameer, Russian troops will come to the aid of
the Uzbegs, and seize Balkh, which is poorly
fortified, ard could offer no serious resistance to
Russian army In all likelihood the Merv
railway would then be pushed at once to Balkh,
and there would be direct railway communica-
tion between ST. Petersburg and Balkh, or to
within 800 miles of Cabul. Having rendered
Balkh place C arms the Russians would not
be long in pushing their noses through the Hin
doc Koosh into the, fertile valleys Of Afghanistan
Recent military surveys show that the Hindoo
Koosh is full Of passes, many easier than was
ever imagined, and what is worse for England
they run from the Balkh country into districts
south of the range peopled by non-Afghan peo-
pie. who would readily give the invaders lift
over the Koosh.