Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1888-07-07
TIE TRAxsCASrlAN.
RusslA's NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY
TO SAMARcAkD.

An Important Event In the Old Worlds
History-hsia to Reawaken to CONNER
ciai Activity-M Modern Civilization Reach
ing the OrientaiA
An important event In the Old Worlds
history has been the completion by Russia
OF a narrow gauge railway from Oren
burg. In the Transcaspian province. TO
Samarcand. the ''holy" Mohammedan city
OF Bokhara or western Turkestan. The
shrill shrek Of the locomotive within $50
miles of the gates of Herat and within.
too. about 600 miles of the northwestern
military frontier of British India, is an
event TO give pause TO the observant pub
licist In al! lands. just as surely as 1t will
arouse another spasm of terror and de-
spair among our British cousins, especially
OF the Jingo faith in politics.
The appearance by rail Of the Russians
within comparatively ersy campaign dis
.ances Of Herat. the gateway Of Afghan
stan. and of Teheran. the capital of Per
sia Is unquestionably y. as affairs stand, q
menace 10 the British Indian empire. It
Is perhaps an even more direct menace to
the great Chinese kingdom and power II
certainly threatens. as near possibility.
the Independence of Persia. and II SO. the
possible and probable absorption of Beelo
chistan on the Persian gulf But the
military character of the situation will be
found when analyzed. to be the smaller
factor In Il.
Without doubt Russia has driven this
h:tle track across the Merv desert to the
east of the Caspian sea and over the fer
tie plains or praries of Bokhara for
military purpose But on its existence
Russia can have but slight hope. as any
one can see who has any experience in
military matters. of making 1t the means
OF precipitating operations against the
British power in India There is in the
Russian Caucasus but one railroad, and in
the adjacent parts of European Russia
but one other well equipped road on which
troops to any number could be moved to
the shores of the Caspian The feet on
that inland water is quite large and could
be rapidly mace available for military
transportation 1t has been reported that
at least one thousand vessels navigate
that sea. of which one half are steamers
of considerable tonnage The railroad
east of the Caspian. which is now at
Samarcand. 800 miles beyond the sea. and
the petroleum fields which have created
Its large marine, Is but poorly equipped
road II viii not carry over fifty
tons per train, according to David Ker
and other travellers Its cost is said not
TO have exceeded $4,000 roubles per mile
that Is 20 say. shout $4,000 in our
money A bare statement of the fact
that this Samarcand- Caspian road is of
the character indicated shows quite plainly
that the Russian war Office, which is ably
directed and understands of necessity the
seience of logistics. especially In view of
the territorial difficulties they must over
come in all their movements, can have
no idea OF precipitating an army on Brit.
tsh India Ali Russia can do now in q
hostile sense by means of this new rail
road Of hers is to annoy the Anglo Indian
empire, and prevent. perhaps, that full
concentration about Constantinople which
British statesmen are now likely to deem
most desirable
In other and more Importantly perma-
nent ways the entrance of the locomotive
into the ancient capital of Timour. the
Tartar is matter of first class import
snce IL is far more likely to tell. and
very early too. in favor of the peaceful
and material development and rehabilia
OF more bioodshed 1t will of course con
cenrraie Russian power by its existence,
and il will also focalize the diplomacy OF
intrigues which its ambition created. at
this new center one thousand miles be-
yond the Transcaspisn province, now
wholly secure in the hands of its perma
neni army of 100000 Russian soldiers
From Samarcapd will go and to il will
come the agents who will bring all Turk
ish nomads TO the Russian standard. who
will plot and cabal In Persia who will ex.
plore Thibet and the great Himalayan
plateau. who viii press forward into the
northwest among the Mussulman Chinese
of the empire Of China; and also those
who will IN one way and another creep
into British India, with the view of 70.
menting disaffection there among the vast
native population. which il is conceded
by all is sufficiently disturbed to be good
material for such operations.
All this presupposes that neither the
sagacious and able Anglo Indian soldiers
and stat esmen. nor the very estute rulers
of the vast Celestial nationality. will do
anything to prevent or counteract the ex-
pected movements of Russia Ii also
ignores the largest factors in the problem
which the railroad exploitation of central
Asia and Siberia must produce. Those
factors are involved in the new industrial
and commercial relations aud conditions
that are constantly being evolved Cen
turies since all this central Asia region
was the seat of powerful and prosperous
peoples We imagine that they have al
together passed into what might be .' in
nocuous desuetude in these respects.
but the traditions and some of the forces
Of their former power and activity have
not been entirely obliterated Tho ex-
periences Of Bicyclist Thomas Stevens. in
his journey round the world. have proven
this
The Samarcand Caspian railroad will
finally conquer new development and q
fresh power for native races of Asia The
commercial prize for which Russia con-
tends is a greater one than the territorial
acquisitions TO which of necessity she yet
aspires She wants to get to the India
ocean, and Great Britain will be wise TO
allow her TO do SO. by means of a road
through Persia and Beelochistsn.-New
York Graphic
:.
The Immigration of Foreigners.