The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-19

have a very formidable task before
her What is not whispered by our
French friends, but what is more than
insinuated by some experienced and
competent authorities, is that if the
/ Amer is waxing aggressive he must
have received assurance that he can,
at least, reckon on the sympathy of a
great European power, which he must
have sounded. This, however, opens
out vista of possibilities on which, in
the absence of precise details, there is
no need to enlarge.
Looking at the matter calmly, and
| from a distance" said an eminent Ger
| man to me the other day, 81 cannot
see why the ameer should be false to
England at this moment. What could
| be his object? Does he not receive a
handsome subsidy from the Indian
government? At the same time
must tell you that it has been known
| in Berlin for at least two years that
| people were agitating to bring about
rising of the Mohammedans in At
ghanistan and India against England.
! The immediate instigator of this agi-
tetion was no less person than the
Sultan of Turkey.
There is positive evidence to the eff
| feet which was received in Berlin long
since, and 1 am quite sure that the
British government was also in pos
session of similar information. Abdul
Bamid, angry with the English for the
support given to the Armenians, was
| determined tt show that he possessed
power, as caliph, to do you harm. He
worked at this through Persia. We do
not understand your policy in Turkey
and we are quite sure that your diplo-
matte influence at Constantinople is
quite lost. However, that is your af-
fair, not ours
Perhaps" 1 suggested, Russian in
fuence has been at work too with the
ameer, and the financial support he
has had from Calcutta will have been
promised, with good bonus, from st.
Petersburg"
mo-" was the reply; II do not think
that Russia's position just now i'll Cen
trail Asia would enable her to do so.
If she ever attacks you in India, or in
the Indian frontier, it will be to take
the country from you, but not to waste
her strength in a useless effort The
danger, however, of the present stu
alton, we, here in Berlin, take to be
the fact that the Mohammedans are
Joining the others against you, which
was not the case in previous troubles"
A very distinguished officer who has
held high military commands in India
and AfghaniStan, and who still occu-
pies an eminent official position, ex-
pressed the opinion in conversation re-
Gently that, while it is advisable to be
prepared for emergencies, there is
nothing very alarming in the recent
news from India. During the years he
spent on the Indian frontier, he ac-
quired an extensive knowledge Of the
border tribes, and he is convinced that
the disturbances which have broken
out almost simultaneously at three
distinct points are really condolences,
and are not the result Of concerted ac-
ton.
The chief factors in these outbreaks
are undoubtedly the pestilent fanatic
priests. The attack on the Tochi col
umn, which was the starting point of
| the whole difficulty. was a compara-
lively trivial resistance on the part Of
| ignorant and turbulent hillmen TO a
| small and somewhat carelessly handled
| force sent out to collect fine News
| of the occurrence, travelling with that
| rapidity which is characteristic of the
i East, became known at points where
| ill-feeling existed against the British,
and, melted by the mullahs or priests,
the tribesmen thought it a favorable
opportunity for settling some Of their
own scores when the enemy was en-
gagged elsewhere.
The whole trouble. however, has