Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-10-19

undoubtedly meditating against the al.
ready half devoured dominions Of the
sultan and tho shah. Across this hound
less level Russia's largest army might
march unimpeded, with all its stores and
cannon.
Not many years have passed since Il
belonged TO Persia instead Of Russia, and
to this day the Caspian ports Of Baku
and Lenkoran, as well as the outlying
villages Of both districts. are just a
quantity Persian as ever In architecture,
speech and population. But the capture
Of Erivan and the treaty of Turkncnt-
chat pushed forward Russia's elastic from.
tier at the expense Of the shah, while by
the war of 1877. 8 she sliced Oft another
huge piece Of territory Gncluding Ba-
toum and the great fortress OF Kars,from
poor old moribund Turkey.
When tho time comes for Russia to
strike another blow at her two 4c.th-
bors, she will be at no loss for q l,r, !.
Unhappily, there care always cases
enough of outrage perpetrated by Turk
ish masters upon Armenian vassais tc
give Russia an ever ready excuse for
protecting her fellow Christians" by
arguments pointed with bayonets. and
remonstrances uttered through the
mouths Of rifled cannon. Against Per-
sia she has an even more plausible
ground Of complaint in the prevalent
brigandage along the Russo Persian Dor.
der.
Among our companions on the Baku
train was a young Russian lady vino
told us quite coolly that less than year
ago, while staying at country house in
the southern Caucasus, she had been
awakened at midnight by finding the
bloody hand Of a gigantic brigand twist
ed in her hair, while the sword that had
just cut down the trusty servant, who
lay writhing at her feet, was brandished
with horrible threats before her very
eyes. Only few days before we our
selves passed, train was stopped and
robbed by banditti not far from Baku
itself.
That tho shah of Persia himself would
gladly hang all Persian brigands to-mor-
row If he could, makes no difference
whatever, for when strong state is de-
termined to attack weaker one causes
Of quarrel arsnever wanting, and men,
ton of "outrages upon Russian subjects
by Persian robbers" would look very well
in an official declaration of war. War
once declared, Russia would be likely to
make short work of it. OF the 167, 900
Russian soldiers permanently stationed
in the Caucasus. nearly two-thirds would
be available for field service after all
necessary deductions had been made for
garrison duty--a force sufficient to sweep
from the earth any army that the shah
could put into the field against it.
Nor are Persia's natural defenses worth
more than her artificial ones. The last
''rectilication" of the Russo Persian
frontier indeed gave to Russia only
few miles of barren hill country; but
those few miles included two of the most
important passes in the great mountain
wall of Khorassan, through which q
"flying column" of Cossacks could make
q dash into Persia whenever they
pleased. Then, too, the unfortiiied Per-
sian port of Enzolli. open to any attack
of the Caspian flotilla. is only 122 miles
from Teheran itself, and the march offers
no difficulties to men who have passed
the Caucasus and the Balkan. Moreover,
Russia has now what she had not few
years ago, viz, n complete line of rail
way along Persia's whole northern from
tier, 10y which men, stores and ammuni-
ton inay be hurried up to any point be-
tween the Caspian and the border Of
Afghanistan.
Such being the case, one cannot Won
der that the poor shah should have twice
revoked the concession granted for Rus
sia's proposed railway TO his capital
from the Caspian scaboard, or that his
rumored friendly relations" with his
big neighbor should remind one Of Mo-
Heres clown, who, when assailed by .
bear, attempted to conciliate the mon.
ster by patting and complimenting it.