Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-06-28
TIE TRANSCASPIAN.
RUSslA's NARROW GAUGE RAILWAY
TO SAMARcAND.

ciai Activity Modern Civilization Reach
ING the OrlcntaIs.
An important event In tho 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
shrili 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 giye pause TO the observant pub
licist In all lands. just as surely as IL will
arouse another spasm of terror and de-
spair among our British cousins. especially
of the Jingo faith Ia politics.
The appearance by rail of the Russians
within comparatively easy campaign dis
.ances Of Herat. the gateway of Afghan.
istan and of Teheran. the capital of Per
sia 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 it.
Without doubt Russia has driven this
little track across the Merv desert to the
east of the Caspian sea and over the fer
tile plains or praries of Bolxhara 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
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 fleet on
that inland water is quite large and could
be rapidly made available for military
transportation It has been reported that
at least one thousand vessels navigate
that sea. of which half are steamers
of considerable tonnage. The railroad
east of the Caspian, which is now at
Sanarcand. 800 miles beyond the sea, and
the petroleum fields which have created
its large marine. Is but poorly equipped
road. 1t will not carry over fifty
tons per train, according to David Ker
and other travellers. It's cost is said not
to have exceeded $4,000 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
the character indicated shows quite plainly
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
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 a matter of first class import
ance, 1t is far more likely to tell, and
very early too. in favor of the peaceful
and material development and rehabilia-
tion of central Asia than to the provoking
of more blo0dshed 1t will of course con-
centrafe Russian power by its existence.
and it will also focalize 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 100000 Russian soldiers.
From Samarcand win go and to It will
come the agents who will bring ali Turk
ish nomads to the Russian standard. who
will plot and cabal in Persia, who viii ex~
plore Thibet and the great Himalayan
plateau. who will 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 TO-
menting disaffection there among the vast
native population. which it 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 statesmen, nor the very astute rulers
of the vast Celestial nationality. viii do
anything to prevent or counteract the ex-
pected movements Of Russia. It 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.
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 4. in
nocuous desuetude in these respects.
but the traditions and some Of the forces
Of their former power and activity have
not been entirely ohliterafed The ex-
periences of Bicyclist Thomas Stevens. in
bis journey round the world. have proven
this.
The Samarcand- Caspian railroad will
dnally conquer q new development and