Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-07
THE TRANscAsPIAN ROAD.

A few days ago we dwelt at considerable
length upon the great work of the Russian
Government in constructing railway
from the east shore of the Caspian Sea al
most to the east border OF Turkestsn, the
terminus being Ut Samarcand, once known
as Morcanda, then a magnificent city,
which was destroyed blythe hosts Of Alex
ander the Great Thernews at hand, that
the Gar Of al the RCssias should go to
Samarcand tc be anneinted and crowned
Emperor Of Central Asia, is signifi-
cant. 1t indicates Russian forecast of the
vast Importance Of Samarcand; thet Rus
STA believes it is about to regain its glory
and influence, but, unlike former causes of
greatness, this time by virtue of commerce
and industrial activity and the production
of the. surrounding country, of which
neither Alexandernor Timur, nor any of
the followers of the Prophet had the faint
est conception. Russia never built this
thousand miles of railway, at cost
exceeding that spent upon any line of like
length, and which involves an outlay of
over 81 100000 2 year for maintenance,
merely in order to have military road
for easy transportation of troops and sup
plies. She had greater and higher aim
the conquest that commerce makes She
expects to make the banks of the Oxus,
the fertile spots of the deserts, the Won
drously rich lands and yielding bottoms of
the whole Central Asia region TEEN with
population and yield tribute to the road
far in excess of its outlay; she expects to
build up commerce that will be able to
overtax the capacity of the road in
short, Russia expects to make money by
her venture, while extending her empire
and bringing her Cossacks within 900
miles Of Eugland's possessions in northern
India. AS a result, we find England ac-
oepting the situation very gracefully, and
entering no protest to Russian enterprise,
though it gives that nation the most COM
manding position of any in the old world
at this time. When, as will soon be done.
feeders torthe new road are built into AZ
ghanistan and Persia, and northward also
in several directions, Russia will share the
Indian trade with England Even if in
clined to refuse it, the latter power has
not the poor privilege of saying "nay."
Shouldshe abandon her line out of northern
India into Afghanistan to defeat that end.
it would be but matter of few months
before Russian rail would be laid through
out Afghanistan and terminate only at the
boundary of Panjab or Kashmir. The
idea of q line 10 parallel the trans
caspian route is simply out of the
question. If even she is ever inclined to
establish an all-rail route to India, Eng
land must do it by -sufferance of Persia,
and forever be at the mercy of nalf
dozen European Powers. Russia, on the
other hand, has now from the Baltic on
the north to the Caspian on the south, a
rail line wholly upon her own soil, and
after short portage commands another
thousand miles of rail upon territory under
her domination that reaches to the very
foot Of the Celestial mountains of western
Chinese territory. And this line by
sharp dip comes within striking distance
of Herat, and but few hours away from
the terminus of the English railroad out
of India.