The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-29

bazaars. Muscovite diplomacy is the most
CRAFTY and the most INSCRIPTIONS in the
world.
Russia has marked out two routes for her
feet to tread One is southwark to the con-
Querlng or India; the other is southwark TO
the conquering or Turkey. She has pressed
steadily forward along these ways. She has
fought the Sultan once, and the prize was
wrested from her by the combined powers.
She has absorbed thousands of miles OF
Asiatic territory in accomplishing her other
design Modern history furnishes no par
allel to the Russian advance upon India,
involving as 1t has done, the conquerlng or
many peoples, the construction of tele-
graphs anc the building OF railroads. The
vast tract has been invaded ana brought
into subjugation strictly Tor war purposes.
The Wild koord hears the shrek or the
locomotive and knows it only as demon
thing that dragS soldiers. There has been
no development of the acquired territory
Russia has been stopped by Afghamstan
land pays him $4,000 year Tor MS good
will She has it, The trouble lies In the
fact that he cannot control his trlbesmen
They are all susceptible 10 Russian lnHu-
ence There is no such thing as a united
Afghanistan. For this reason the attempt
to upbuild and maintain that country upon
the buffer system of states is. and VIII be,
fruitless.
Idling away his leave among the cedars
of Simla, the English arIIeryman, looking
northward, sees the pole star blazing above
the Khyber pass and he knows that some
day somewhere below the roof OF the
world" his leaping guns Will talk TO the
leeiOns of the RomanOff. He longs for that
day and his Russian prototype longs for 1t,
and between them is only handful OF
easily influenced SaVageS, and now are they
to be kept apart? Marrying a male men,
Der of British royalty and a male member
of Russian royalty 10 Danish sisters Will
not do it. The prize is vast and the 100,-
600 900 of Slavs are rapacious
A singular misconception prevails. In the
popular mind a vast range of mountains
stretches between Russia and India This
is true of the old Orenburg route. The Hin
doo-Koosh bars the way TO the Ameers
81 nit hoo dc oC q tOTG ord
the heavens. But that route was aban-
doned long ago. The present movement is
objective point. The Turcomans used to be
a barrier but they were broken by Sko-
belief He found a hundred miles of rail-
way slowed away in the magazines at Ben
der. 1t had been intended for use in the
Balkan campaign in the event of failure
of the Berlin congress. The material was
shifted to the Caspian and laid down IN the
direction of Cock Tepe In this accidental
way began the Russian railway to India,
probably the most potent railway for good
or evil in the history of the world The
present route if war should break out, will
run from the shores of the Caspian in
southeasterly direction to Herat: There are
no mountains or considerable rivers Any
reasonably expert hOrseman can drive
four-in-hand along every foot of the way.
There is absolutely nothing to keep the
Russian forces out of Herat. FooiShly the
British have failed to garrison that place
with an army of responsibility.
Russia is resolved to seize Herat She
VIII get 1t yet: She has secretly surveyed
Afghanistan Her troops are concentrated
at and near Merv Not with the idea of
using the Orenburg route, but to prevent its
use, she has seized the most important
passes. She can, however, if she wishes,
valley of the Murghat it is only 240 miles
from Merv to Herat. Valentine Baker says
that Merry is the natural outwork of
Herat, with the advantage of water supply
all the way between the two cities" We
have heard much of the Paropamisus range
OF mountains" They are gentle hills,
only 800 feet high at their highest point
English experts have expressed the belief
that were an enemy to occupy Herat the
English army, without having fired a shot.
would consider itself half beaten" The
city which numbers a population of 80 900,
is In no condition to defend itself against
a Russian attack. 1t is called the key to
India. because through it alone the valleys
can be entered which lead to the vulnerable
part Of India These valleys, running near
ly north and south, are protected on the
east by mountain ranges and on the west
by lmpracticable deserts. MacGregOr juSti-
hes the estimate of it's Importance as fol-
lows: Because it is the nearest and best
point at which an invader could concentrate
ana prepare for an invasion of that coun-
ty-adVantages which it gains from it's
beautiful valley, the fertility of which is
unriValed in Asia; from its strategical posi-
ton, which gives it command of all the i'm
portant roads into India; from the great
strength of it's fortress; it being, in fact
the strongest place from the Caspian to
the Indus; from its admirable climate and
from the prestige it enjoys throughout Asia.
The fertility of its valley and its capability
OF maintaining large forces is proved by
the fact that it has been besieged oftener
than any other city in Asia and has always
afforded supplies for the armies of both
pesiegerS and beSieged.
The seizure of Herat by Russia will follow
the first successful rebellion against Britain
and the Amer, and the seizure of Herat
VIII be followed inevitably by war between
cannot be accurately predicted by any
man, military or nOnmilitary.