The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1894-10-16
|PAMIRS MIDDLE.
Threatens to Add Considera-
bly, to Eastern Complication.
Russia's Knock May Follow Death of
the Ruler OF kfghanistan.

LONDON, Oct. 10. - A dispatch from
Himla says that the news of the impend-
ing death of the Ameor Of Afghanistan is
great surprise. He is known to have
bright's disease of the kidneys, but 1t was
not thought that he was seriously affected.
For the present, Mr.. Pyne, the English
engineer who started factory for the
manufacturs OF guns, rifles and cartridges
at Cabul, In addition to turning his atten-
tion TO the manufactures of articles OF
commerce, wine, soap, paper, ETC., at ths
capital OF AfghanistGn, and the other
Europeans, including Miss Hamilton and
the lady DOCTORS, should be assured protec-
tion by the ameer's eldest son. Sardar
Habibulla Khan, who presumably viii as
sumo the direction of affairs.
The policy of the Indian government
will have to be declared promptly, 1t Is
added, and 1t is believed that Habibulla, IL
assured of British support, will be able to
hold his own The friendly relations be-
tween Great Britain and Afghanistan has
not been broken since the successful mis-
sion last year Of Sir Mortimer Durand to
the city Of Cabul.
General Roberts Views.
General Roberts OF Kandahar, V. O.,
formerly commander-in-chief of the Brit
ish army in Ida, was interviewed in re-
gard to the sickness Of the Ameer of At
ghanistan i'm view of the fact that his
death would be likely to add considerably
TO the Eastern complications.
Lord Roberts said; "Similar reports Of
Illnesses from which the ameer has re-
covered have reached India in years gone
by. But the ameer is now older and the
constantly recurring attacks Of the gout
must have seriously undermined his gen.
eral health. Tho news, doubtless, was
brought from Cabul to Peshawer by horse
men, and was telegraphed from the latter
place TO Simla."
III the Ameer Dies.
The death OF the Ameer Of Afghanistan
might easily lead TO diplomatic If not
armed collision over the Pamirs question.
The ameer's friendship for or fear of Eng
land has led him to favor Great Britain in
her struggle to keep the Asian gateway to
India closed against the Russian. The
ameer has been courted by both England
and Russia. but he finally favored the
former, and made an agreement with Sir
Henry Mortimer Durand of the Indian
foreign office, which, during the ameer's
life at least, holds Russia in check at this
point.
Briefly summed up, the result of these
negotiations was as follows: The ameer
has withdrawn all claims to Chitral,
Bajaur, Swat and all the neighboring
frontier states in Indus Kohistan, together
with Waziristan, where he had post that
caused some trouble This insured the
safety of the Gomul route and completed
the Zhob valley frontier.
In fact, 10 not only brought within the
acknowledged and undivided sphere of
British influence the wild region in which
disturbances occurred so recently as the
latter part of 1892 and the first quarter of
1883, but IL also left indefinitely under
British control the approaches Co India on
the southeast OF the Pamirs. The tracts
between the Punjab and Afghanistan, in
which. the ameer's interests had proved
detrimental to good order among the hill
tribes, were freed from his claims. No
further opposition was offered To the rail
way terminus at New Chairman.
Engiand's Part of the Bargain.
In return for these concessions Great
Britain permitted the unrestricted inn
,ortation into Afghanistan of arms and
stores; confirmed the ameer In the posses
sion of Kasir and the Kunar valley; left
the Kuram valley settlement undisturbed,
and raised the annual subsidy to the
ameer from ~ to is lacs OF rupees (from
e375, 900 TO s56o,oo0).
Before the mission left Cabtl the ameer
publicly affirmed his friendship with Eng
land, holding a grand conference for that
purpose. He congratulated his people on
securing such a good friend "a the British
government, (which had no designs on