New-York tribune., 1889-12-22
CENTRAL ASIAN PROBLEMS.
THE COMING AsrATIC STRUGGLE.

RUSSIA IN CENTRAL 6,- AsiA i' ne tnc Hon Georrc
\. carzon. NJ P. with appendix maps. iiias,rs anps
tens, and an index. eVo' Pp'
mans. Green q 70
Between the equally extravagant eXaggerauohs
of Russophiles and Russophobes it has for some
time been difficult to obtain trustworthy iniorma
tion concerning the progress and purposes VI
Russia in Central Asia and this diiiculty mas
hser ,nc,eased nv the dislike Of Russian officials
a, rive ir formation or to allow foreigners TO see
,o, themselves 1t was therefore fortunate
opportunity which permitted Mr.. Curzon TO enter
the Transcaspian Province and to he present AT
the formal opening of that much-heralded Trans
caspian Railway which has affected so important
a change in Central Asian prospects, commercial.
political and military. The attitude taken by Mi.
Curzon in this book may be gathered from his
dedication. which is as folloys: To the great
army of Russophobes, who mislcad others, ana
Russophiles, whom others mislead, dedicate tins
book Which will he found equally disrfspect1ui
70 the ignoblc terrors of the one and the pervese
complaccncy of the others No one we thlnk'
has approached this subject more open-mindedV
than Mr. Curzon, nor has any candidy,
fully and clearly stated the weghticst consluera
tions on both sides, or summed up the evidence
more iudicially. He has written the fairest pook
extant on the Anglo-Russian and Central Asian
very freshest information. gathered. for the nlosO
mart. ON the sround. The entire absence OF prelu-
dice tho perfect candor of his discussion ana his
constant effort to marshal all the evidence pro-
curable inspire the reader with confidence IN tne
anthor and lend weight to his opinions ana )udg-
ments. ~
His work is partly descriptive ana statistical
and partly argumentatve. The first part oeais
with tic Transcaspian Railway. with the country
tbrouob which A. masses the difficulties encoun-
,cred in working the line, its military uses and
commercial potentiaities. Then the khanates are
visited their monuments sketched, their cohoi'lon'
social and political. examined, and their rcla,lons
to Russia carefully traced, with all that 'hose
relations involve. The second part is deVotcu "
an ANALYSIS of the Anglo-Russian question, IN the
light of the changes wrought by the Dulidli'g Ci
tho railway and the latest Russian acquisitions
and advances. The Transcaspian Railway Is now
900 miles in length, and unites the Caspian with
Samarkand. On the Afghan frontier it has COM
pletely reversed the situation of ten years ago.
that Is TO say, 1t has practically rendered 1t I'M
nossibIe for England to save Herat from seizure
and has solved the problem of convenient base
for Russian movements upon the Hindu kush ana
tho Ualmund. Not completely, indeed. At Tie
present time many formidable questions relating
70 TRANSFORMATION remain unanswered ana there are
local difficulties in the working OF the llne Whch
would certainly he felt seriously IN thc event oi
war. No engineering obstacles have had 10 ne
faced in constructing the road, when Is Almost
AS level as biliard-table and has no tunnels ana
few bridges But the sand Of the desert has
been and is a grave hindrance, as American EN-
rineers have found it parts of the southern
Pacific Railway The strong winds that plow
over the desert frequently bury the track uhuel
sand, and working parties have to he kept on 'he
line constantly to clear it from these sand-waVes.
Sudden coud-buTss, too, occur, and the pcas oI
streams which are nearly dry in summer in few
hours are filed with raging torrents, which sweep
all before them. These foods are, however, in
freouent. So far the Russians have discovered
no means of fixing the surface of the shifting
sands and perhaps, owing TO the extent OF the
area and the mass Of the material, none of the
remedies which have been employed successfully
In Holland the South of France and elsewhere Tor
preventing the march of Dunes would he applicaolc
i'm Central Asia The problem is a serious one,
and eventually will have to be solved
The railroad. with all its defects, gives Russia an
immense advantage in any hostile movement upon
India and how great this advantage is Mr.
Curyon shows in his careful survey of the present
state of the annexed Khanates and Bokhara. The
former arc already completely Russified, and would
offer no danger in the rear Bolihara is cowed
and submissive, and recognizes her destiny. IN
the event of war with England she would GER
tanly supply the Russian commissariat. if she did
no more AS TO the Turcomans, the massacre OF
Cock Tepe has subdued them permanently.
Mr. Curzon is neither a Russophobe nor a
Russophile but he recognizes facts when lie en-
counters them, and he has been driven 10 'he
conclusion that while the conquest of India Is
not seriously meditated by Russian statesmen. The
invasion Of India is and has long been con-
templated as certain TO take place soon or late.
The motive of this policy is not hard to discover.
Russia holds that India is EnGland's weak spot,
and she will attack her in order to paralyze her
in Europe 1t is not Calcutta but Constantinople
that is in question. The possession of the
Bosphorus is TO be settled in Hindustan. in short.
Russian statesmen and military do not hesitate
70 declare this purpose, and since Russian action
in Central Asia has from the time of Peter the
Great been in entire opposition to Russian
Diplomatic professions in Europe. ii is no longer
omen TO any but the wilfully blind 10 doubt the
significance of her movements in that region. AZ
Mr.. Curzon observes the affair Of the kuskk
undertaken while the ink was not drv Oh the
signatures Of the Treaty of San Stefano. con-
clusively demonstrated the systematic duDlicity
and bad faith of Russia in Central Asian matters,
and closed the mouths of the Russophles on that
subject permanently. General Annenkef. the
builder of the Transcaspian Railroad. has vision
airy scheme of junction between the Russian and
the English railroads of India, by which both
countries would. he argues. reap great advantages.
Mr. Curzon punctures this bladder quickly.
though il was hardly worth the trouble. for the
idea of England putting her route to India in the
hands Of her chief rival and traditional foe would
te simply grotesque did one not remember now
often and how recently Downing Street has
allowed itself to he cajoled. hoodwinked and de-
ceved by the INSCRIPTIONS diplomatists of St.
Petersburg.
Pending further movements. which may or may
not involve war. Mr. Curzon makes il evident that
the Russian commercial policy in Central Asia