, 1888-10-28

oiaI Activity-NIoderu Civilization Reach
ing the orIentals.
An important event In the Old World s
history has been the completion by Russia
-ef-R-parrow-ga uGa- railway from 0ren
burg, in the Transcaspian province. to
Samarcand. the holy" Mohammedan city
of Bokhara or western Turkestan, The
shrin Shrek of the locomotive within $50
miles of the gates of Herat and within.
too, about GOO miles of the northwestern
military frontier of British India, is an
event to give pause to the observant pub
ncist In all lands. Just as surely as IL will
arouse another spasm of terror and de
spair among our British cousins. especially
of the lingo faith in politics.
The appearance by rail of the Russians
within comparatively easy campaign dis
tances of Herat, the gateway of Afghan
Lstan, and of Teheran, the capital of Per
STA, Is unquestionably, as affairs stand, a
menace to the British Indian empire. 1t
is perhaps an even more direct menace to
the great Chinese kingdom and power. 1t
certainly threatens, as a near possibility,
the independence of Persia, and If SO, the
possible and probable absorption of Beelo
chistan on the Persian gulf. But the
military character of the situation will be
found, when analysed. to be the smaller
factor in 1t.
Without doubt Russia has driven this
little track across the Merry desert to the
east of the Caspian sea and over the fer
tile plains or praries of Bokhara for a
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 it the means
OF precipitating operations against the
British power in India. There is in the
RnGgian CancaCna hl1t nna roilrooI onJ ~
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 fleet on
that inland water is quite large and could
be rapidly made available for military
transportation 1t has been reported that
at least one thousand vessels navigate
that sea, of which one-half arc 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 a poorly equipped
road. 1t will not carry over fifty
tons per train, according to David Ker
and other travellers. Its cost is said not
to have exceeded SO, 900 roubles per mile
that is to say, about $4,000 in our
money A bare statement of the fact
that this Samarcand- Caspian road Is of
49, IllullllN
that the Russian war office, which is ably
directed and understands of necessity the
science 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
ish India All Russia can do now in q
hostile sense by means of this new rail
road Of hers is to annoy the A%nglo-Indian
empire. and prevent, perhaps, that full,
~nnnpntrattnn about CnnGfn- .l..l.
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 a matter of first class import
ance. 1t is far more likely to tell, ard
very early too, in favor of the peaceful
and material development and rehabilia
ton of central Asia than to the provoking
OF more bloodshed. 1t will of course con
centrate Russian power by it's existence,
and it will also focali8e the diplomacy OF
intrigues which it's ambition created. at
this new center, one thousand miles be
yond the Transcaspian province, now
wholly secure in the hands of its perma.
nent army of 100, 900 Russian soldiers.
From Samarcand will go and to it will
come the agents who will bring all Turk.
ish nomads to the Russian standard, who
will plot and cabal in Persia. VIC will ex
plore Thibet and the great Himalavau
plateau. who will press forward into the
northwest among the Mussulman Chinese
of the empire of China; and also those
who will In ono way and another Green
into British India, with the view of 70
menting disafIection there among the vast
native population, which it is conceded
by all Is sufficiently disturbed to be good
material for such operations.
All this p~resupposes that neither the
sagacious and able Anglo Indian soldiers
and statesmen. nor the very astute rulers
of the vast Celestial nationality, will do
anything to prevent or counteract the ex.
pected movements of Russia, 1t 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 and conditions
that are constantly being evolved Cen
turtles 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 lin
nocuous desuetude in these respects,
but the traditions and some of the forces
OF their former power and activity have
not been entirely obliterated The eH
periences of Bicyclist Thomas Stevens, in
his journey round the world. have proven
his.
The Samarcand- Caspian railroad will
inally conquer a new development and q
fresh power for native races of Asia The
commercial prize for which Russin con.
tends Is a greater one than the ltorial
acquisitions to which of necessity she vet
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 Beelochistan.-New
York Graphic.