, 1898-11-16

N'h@ ~~ SS'
III contemplation. But, meanwhile, the Rus
slams have secured direct railway cOmmuni-
oOtlon from the Caspian to. KuShk and the
northwestern Afghrl frontier. The 90, odd e
miles which separate that Station from Herat
present no d,ticultes. The ~raroplmisus
range is there u series of high moors, hills.
aud valleys, perfectly accessible to troops aud
with easy S~lnficmts q railway.
4 branch line to connect The great Trans
Caspian Rail way. with HE Afghan frontier
seemed to Russian Statesmen IL natural Sc
Quense to the lNnJdrh incident ol 1885. H.
deed, not one, but several such branches
southwark. tewalds Afghanistan aud the
Indian sphere Of Influence have been under
their consideration. The Merv Kushk Rail
way is the somewhat reta, ded execution Of a
design formed by Russia more thnn ten wears
ngo, of which the Indian Intelligence Depart
ment has long been cogniznnt. The Kushk
line IL, however. only a branch from The great
Trans-Caspian Railway. If its COM letion
next month makes US realize he close proxi.
nifty of IL great EuIopean Power TO the buffer
State Of GENITAL Asia, the Russians have
taken good care not to allow it 10 engloss
their att hti0n 100 exclusively. Several CHI.
cumstances have recently combined 10 give
to the Trans-Casrian route an Importance
which it did not possess until the present.
e yeaY. The possible conflict Of Russian and
English interests in China renders the Cen
trail Asian line of approach to the Afghan
frontier Il very valuable fnctor in The oggIe-
gate pressure which Russia il able 10 Ibring
to bear on British diplomacy, But, apart
from all political questions, the mormOus de
vsfopment of the petroleum industry on tho
Western shore Of the Caspian furnishes a new
locomotive foIco to ASiatic- Russian e~xploitn-
B ton whose eHect. it is yet impossible TO gauge.
The Baku petroleum fields, which are now
for the first time obtaining The elective CO.
operation Of British capital; supply an mex
huhslible quantity Of il highly concentrated
end portable form Of fuel. The crossing OF
the Caspian from Baku to the ptalting-point
of the Central Asia Railway, on its eastern
side, although short in distance, is not always
easy; but the difficulties will lessen with
special adaptation of the vessels to the local
conditions OF navigation. Russia with her
c~leArness Of vision. had graSped The situation
even before. il fully emerged, and lns shifted
her political centre of grt,ity further to the
east along the Tpans-CAsplan route. The nd
miniStrative headquarters of her Trans
Caspian provinces lave ltcp concentrated
at Tashkend at their eastern extremity,
and the OLD intermediate capital has be-
cOms % subordinate post. The Lend-quar.
ters Of the T~ran>-Caspian railM ny sys-
OcIb ~ ntoO ONtbE G'lNSHkAH'Vu 1T LUSH"
kend as rapidly as the necessary 'cn;ces can
be built. This eastward concentration of
shs political control is of the utmost signif-
cauce. It marks not only the growing
Importance of q further position for an ap-
proach 10 the indian frontier, but also q new
stage in Russia's railway development in
r ntral Asia. Russia first secured q way
into Petsia, if circumstance should lead her
to require it. She has now secured O way
into North Western Afghanihtah, if a neces-
sity Should arise. She has also taken up q
position still uIthcr east, alike convenient
for linking Ter great northern and great
central lines Of advance through Asia by
an Omsk 'raSltkend junction line and for
thriving ont new railway approaches towards
eastern Afghnniston and oar northern Indian
frontier OF AigharIst IN; yer next objective
may be the North Western Frontier Of
India. It the same lime she is endeavour-
ing still further to open mp the Oxus as o
waterway. While another battalion of rail
way construction is being row embodied for
Central Asia, the Russian Oxus fotilIa is
being overlanIed ard improved with a view
to overcoming tho obstacles 10 continuous
navigation.
IT is fortunate chat, Ivy one of those chances
by which England reelms to hold her own
against the more deliberate policy of auto
a.Gs- khA "A