The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-26
RUSSIA IN CENTRAL ASIA.
GATHERING PLACE OF THE ARMY
THAT THREA EMS NDI1
Plans for ReRcnerating Trnns-Caspin-
Wnrlike Talk of Russian Oficers in
Private Russia's Purposes Regarding
Afghnnistnn-A Talk with Kournpatkin.

a most interesting trip which L TOOK some
time ago with u party Of English people in Gem
trail Asia furnished an opportunity to observe
Russian plans and methods. 1t was an under
taking Of MIR. Woolrych Perowne. n young
man who Is Just now doing more than any
other Englishman TO introduce Russia to his
countrymrn. who. up to that time, was the
only person that had succeeded in persuading
tho Russians to permit him to conduct a party OF
tourists through the Trans-Caspian provinces.
These provinces are under the management
Of the War Department Mt st. Petersburg. and
the law is that no foreigner is to be allowed In
them without the special permission of the
Minister of War. The reason OF this regulation.
according to the Russians. il that the provinces
are in such n transition state that it would
not be advisable to allow strangers to wander
through them at will. hut the English have
thought that the regulation pertained mainly
to them. and that the Russians do not want
them to find out what they are doing there.
Whatever tho real explanation may be. Mr..
Perowne. with the help OF influence Mt st.
Petersburg. got an Otkritki List. the document
permitting us to travel in Trans-Caspia. and
one day we landed at krasnovolsk. on the east
ern shore Of the Caspian. prepared to see all
that we could and TO take copious notes. OF
course. as an American. l had no such political
interest in the provinces "a my fellow travel
lerS. but | kept my eyes and ears open never
theless. and learned Just about as much as
they did in regard to what the Russians are
doing in Central Asia and what they mean
to do in the future. We were all
tho guests officially OF Gen. Kourapatkin at
that time Governor-Gcneral OF Trans-Caspia.
and since called to st. Petersburg to act as
Minister OF War. He was Skobelefr's right
hand man in the battle and slaughter at Cock
Tepc and n warm friend of the famous Ameri-
cnu war corrpSpOnIpnt Mnr(iahnn. knowing
that he and MacGahan had been quite intimate.
] asked him one day for an anecdOte about my
cOuntryman. but he merely looked a little more
serious than usual and said: when Mac
Gahan and | were together tho times were not
conducive to remembering anecdotes. but |
am glad to hear you speak his name"
The General Is to-day about - years old.
and looks the soldier all over | saw HIM stand
absolutely still for one solid hour during a re-
ligious service in the open air on ST Georges
Dny. and he remained at attention" in front
Of the officiating priest during the entire pro-
cecdinE. II was n feat which impressed uS
AnglO-Saxons as much "a anything else we
saw. and it was our conviction that a man who
could go through such an ordeal was not likely
to finch much in battle. Kourapotkin has not
the inspiring influence over soldiers that Sko-
belief had. but he has a GOODNESS and ability to
calculate closely which SkobeleT lacked. and
he supplemented Skobelefr's dash admirably.
To-day he is pretty generally accepted as the
leading General in the Russian army. and he
knows Asia and the roads to India better. per-
hapS. than any other soldier.
He is also a superb entertainer. and he made
our stayin his provinces most delightful, besides
giving il n cute political significance which i'm
mcn9ely amused me and considerably flattercd
the English. W" wern seventeen days travel
ling from krasnovodsk to Samarkand and
back. and lived the cntir" time in a special
train which kourapotkin put at our disposal.
W" had three baggage ears. a hospital car. a
dining ear. three s%lcopcrs. three salon car
ringcs and an observation ear. As guides we
had a gentleman from IN" Foreign Onlce
at -. Petersburg and a Colonel Of the rail-
way regiment which looks after the in
tercstS Of the Trans-Caspian Railroad. We
saw the usual things Of interest along
the route. and could not possibly have
seen Merv. Bokhara. and Samarkand under
more auspictOus circumstances but entertain
ing as all this sightseeing was. what inter-
estca ne most was the significance which the
Russians gave to our visit. kOurapatkin
really wanted us to see. and. If we were willing.
to appreciate. what he had done toward re-
generating the provinces under his control.
and it was an opportunity to study Russian
management Of conquered territory such AZ
none Of lis will probably eyer have again. We
talked politics from ia" beginning Of the tripto
the end. and W. wcr" free to put any questions
to our hosts that We liked. They did not al
ways answer US as fully rs we hoped they
would, but they let Us roam about without any
hindrancc whatever. AMI took us within thir-
ty-SiX hours journey OF AfGhaniStan and
within forty miles of the Persian frontier. We
pretty carefully the lines on which they are
likely to expand when IN" right moment comes.
and we were allowed 10 see with considerable
minutencsS their machinery for expansion.
Their entertainments OF vs. was a matter Of
wonder to every member Of the party. From
the moment We arrived at Krasnovodok until
We sailed away from it back to the Caucasus
we were treated practically as a political en-
hassy from England. and | hear that more
could not be don" il the Queen herself visited
the country. We were wincd. dincd. enter
tcrtaincd with sham battles. talked to.
preached about in the churches. and toasted
as II W" were Russia'S fond"st admirers. and at
the last big function toasts to an alliance Of Eng
land with Russia formed a climax. of course.
the Russians. a. well as we. realized that we
were all simply having II splendid holiday. but
there was such "A display about the treatment
we received. and it was so impressive TO bo sa-
lutcd as powerful pot"ntates by mighty Gen
erals when we rode past them after the sham
| 'hNNl'H1 hll'i WV "a w. ~ u - liNll' wv
political suggestions. that for tho moment
some OF US actually thought. as my companion
in the sleeping car said. that I'VE were really
making history"
For the Turcomans the peaceful English in
vasion. as one Of the priests at Askabad put il
whom referring to our visit in his sermon. was
doubtless Il historical event. but for us IL was
u survey ot a land which is going to be the
base OF military operations that will some day
make not only T~rans-Caspian but intcrna-
tional history. 1t is very much to be doubted
whether the Russians are thoroughly prepared
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 entirely peaceful; but,
as sure az there is a Gar in st. Petersburg
they mean to go forward. and il was the studyo
the probable direction this forward movement
will take that Interested me most while in
T~rlnS-Caspia. As an American II was per.
mittcd me, or rather / permitted myself. to put