Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-15
A POET, BUT NOT A JOMINI.

Sir Edwin Arnold considers the
fight OF Gilghit in the Little Pamir an
affair that will produce very serious con-
sequences in India. He says that Brit
ish blood has been shed there, and it is
tradition in the English army in India
that British blood is sacred, and when
it has been shed it must be atoned tor.
He says it makes no difference that
Gilghit, where the conflict occurred, is
not a British possession; but as it is on
the border of Cashmere, which is
protectorate Of the English empire, it
will inevitably lead to hostilities be-
tween England and Russia. Russia
now occupies the slope of the Pamir,
and has lately made advances there
which England cannot allow. Sir
Edwin then assures US that if
Russia do not make satisfactory
explanation aud reparation for the
Gilghlt affair, war must newt
ably ensue. Now mark the consequence
of this war, as it is seen through Sir Ed
wins eyes. He says: sit would mean
that England would roll back once and
forever the Russian approach on India,
raze Central Asia to the ground from
one end to the other, restore to the
Khanates their independence, thrust
Russia back beyond the Caspian, free
Persia from Russian influence, rescue
Khorassan, inevitably cause revolu-
tion in Russia and end in the overthrow
of Russia's power in Europe"
Sir Edwin is great poet. and
his imagination roves fancy free
in his direful anticipations of the result
OF conflict between the lion and the
bear in Central Asia. But wars are not
determined on the poetic plan nova
days. 1t took ten years for all the |
Greek states to overthrow Troy and give |
Homer theme for his great epic. Ii |
Sir Edwin Arnold becomes the Homer
of the clash of arms he toresees in India, |
he may have occasion to tune his muse !
to different key from that he now sets
it to. Russia is not so easily forced !
back upon herself as the poet imagnes
before the blow is struck. Historically !
she has always held her own. When
she has advanced she has advanced to
stay.
When, in 1855, two of the most
powerful nations of Europe France and
England) joined with Turkey to prevent
her advance upon the Bosporus, they
stayed her march, it is true, at the
Crimea but she withstood the onslaught
OF the three nations at Sebastopol with
a determined courage that cost her ene-
mics very dear. Ii she could hold her
own against the triple combination in
the Crimea. where her enemies could
use their navies, she will hardly recede
from one OF them on the slope OF Pamir,
where the English must bring up
their f1rces from distant points
in British India, and where
her navy can afford her neither support
nor transportation. The czar is keep
ing pace with the movement of his
troops in Central Asia in his facilities
Tor transportation. He is building a
railroad across the steppes of Mongolia,
and his army is in easy connection with
ts base OF supplies. Great Britain is
lickering with China to form an often
'ive alliance with her against the czar,
lnder the pretext that he is threatening
he invasion of Chinese territory. But
+ England, France and Turkey could
hardly bulge Russia in the Crimea, an
lnglo-C hinese combination will hardly
vercome her in Central Asia. 1t is not !
'oetic predictions which will decide 9
uch struggle, but solid, prosy, bull
og fighting. In the meantime what .
nay occur in Egypt bearing upon this :
trugglc is subject for lively speculation. :,