The evening times., 1899-09-02


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done il the Queen herself visited the
country. We were wined, dined, enter
tanned with sham battles. talked to;
preached about in the churches, and toasted
as If we Were Russia's fondest admirers,
and at the last big function toasts to an
alliance Of England with Russia formed a
climax. OF course, the Russians. as well
as we, realized that We were all simply
having splendid holiday, but there was
such display about the treatment we re-
ceived, and 1t was so impressive to be sa-
luted as powerful potentates by mighty
generals when we rode past them after
the sham battles, and the toasts were so
pregnant with political suggestions. that
for the moment some of us actually
thought, as my companion in the sleep
ing car said. that 1--WE were really making
history
For the Turcomans the peaceful English
invasion, as one Of the priests at Askabad
put 1T when referring to our visit in his
sermon, was doubtless a historical event,
but for us it was survey OF land
which is going to be the base of military
operations that will some day make not
only Trans-Caspian but international his
tory. 1t is very much to be doubted
whether the Russians are thoroughly pre-
pared as yet to divide up Afghanistan with
England. and assume responsibility for the
northern half; indeed, We were assured
that Russia's policy in Central Asia is en-
tirely peaceful; but, as sure as there is a
Car in st. Petersburg, they mean to go
forward, and 1t was the study of the prob
able direction this forward movement will
take that Interested me most while in
Trans s-Caspia. AS an American it was per-
mitted me, or rather permitted myself, to
no Qh
would have seemed to indicate desire to
find out too much, and on one occasion,
merely because l was countryman OF
MacGahan, two Cossack colonels talked to
me as they could not have consistently
| talked to any Englishman. l consequently
got the benefit Of the stereotyped Geciara-
tions OF officials whose business 1t was to
make US think that Russia's intentions in
Central Asia are friendly to all nations,
and the equally emphatic and by no means
confidential statements of military officers
and railroad men that they were not con-
tent with their acquisitions up to date and
looked for more.
General Kourapatkin's remarks to three
OF us who were officially recognized as
correspondents representative of what 1t
is good business for the Russian Gov
ernment to make out is its policy in Gen.
trail Asia. Everything he said was true,
were other equally true statements that
he might have made, but did not. The
burden OF his talk to US, which took place
in the Government House at Askabad was
that his Governments main ambition in
Central Asia is to regenerate the country
industrially, and that their experience, so
far. justifies them in believing that in time
il will thrive and prosper, If not to the ex-
tent it did III the days of Genghis Khan,
when there were cities, SO the story runs,
of million inhabitants and over, at any
rate, sufficiently TO pay for the cost and
trouble which the regeneration will have
occasioned. He said that the nations were
all on friendly footing with Russia. and
that it was now possible to travel unmo-
Tested, and even without arms, throughout
Trans -Caspia. He emphasized the fact that
for long time, as long times go in Asia,
there had been no serious conflict with
the natives or any one else, and he also
put great stress on the statement that for
number of years Russia had made no at
tempt TO extend her frontiers. This is
about what would be told any inquisitiye
person, either in Central Asia or at St.
Petersburg, so far as the Government is
concerned, and there is no doubt that
Kourapatkin represented the Government
in talking TO US.
Ny other informants, such as officers In
the army. railroad and business men, rep
resented themselves alone, but there was a
unanim1ty OF opinion among them which
convinced me that, although there was less
cause for them TO speak with the caution
which the men in more responsible posts
observed. the two classes of men were not
very widely separated in sentiment ana
purpose. In regard TO the probability of the
Russian railroad system in Central Asia be-
coming Joined to the Indian railroads, a
question that has caused not a little dis
cussion, and one that was constantly talked
about among the members of our party, a
Russian colonel made this very definite
statement:
The English can dilly-dally with the
matter as long as they like, and they are a,
liberty 10 bring up all the arguments
against il that they can think of, but il
is the will of 120 000, 900 people, e. the
Russians-that these two railroad systems
shall be connected, and when this will come
to pass and where are mere matters of
detail; the important thing is that We have
willed that il is to came 10 pass at all.
Perhaps you and will live TO see the thing
done, but if We do not our children will. -
At present the Russians are extending their
railroad lines as rapidly as possible toward
the Afghan frontier, and was told that IN
1900 it would be possible for me TO travel
4
The forward policy, as l learned to un-
derstand Il, included the annexation of
the bulk Of Afghanistan, northern Persia,
and big slice out of western Mongolia.
India, as an actual goal. toward which
these minor excursions were merely pre-
paratory, was never definitely spoken of in
any conversation that had with Russians,
but in talking of the less important acqui-
sitions / was invariably impressed with
the manner of my informants; it was as
if they were holding something back which
| was very interesting. but could not be dis
cussed. 1t is easy to believe however
that among themselves in the mess room
| and In camp, they are continually discuss
ing how India is going to be taken; ard
| it is not al all improbable that like Sko-
beleff, while he was still a young man and
living in this same Fart of the world, there
| is many young Russian soldier with
some pet plan up his sleeve for the con-
| quest of India. Their life and the country