The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-05-03

N-an state papers purporting to have
been stolen from the archives OF the
Muscovite ministry of war have created
a sensation in England and engaged |
public attention there to a degree Sec
ond only to the interest in the war
news from South Africa. These papers
were sold in London by man who
I formerly was connected with the ONCE
of the Russian general staff, and who
/ had fallen out with his employers anu
fled to England. The documents show
that RUSSIA regards England's d1hl-
Guilty as her opportunity, and has late
! ly been making every preparation 10
overrun the buffer state" of Afghan
| istan and assail the borders OF north
| ern India, A thorough military recon
noissance has been made by Russian
officers Of the Indian frontier. plan
| of campaign outlined, native rulers ana
4 religious leaders sounded" and poll
4 icy for stirring up the border chiefs
/ and the native princes Of the coveted
country has been formulated. Henry
hay - the
papers, but cne65h sSc 1ad1 -
Mr.. Norman asserts. that some the
place-names are misspelledas Samar-
I, land for Samarkand-such mistakes
!, might easily occur in the haste OF copy
Ing and translation. Signatures. dates,
names, places and maps are given, sew
eral of the places on the map, which
is traced from the Russian original
appearing on no English map, though
they really exist and the document
seems to bear intrinsic marks of gen
uiness. Attempts to discredit have not
succeeded. The Russian officers who
made the Investigation and reported
were Col. Ukroff Naraskoi, Capts. Bas-
. ilovich Markoff and Yonoff Kriminski,
and Vasiloff Karskoi, secretary of the
commission. They began their secret
, labors last May, and made their report
late last December to Gen. Kuropatkin,
minister of war. Travelling sometimes
together and sometimes separately in
order to avoid notice, they visited all
! the Russian outposts, the principal
strategic points in Afghanistan and
along the Indian frontier, and even
passed over the Chinese territory In
the course of their Investigations. In
, submitting their report they say: I'VE
) think it we'll to state, for the informa-
Il ton of your excellency, that we are
unanimous in the conclusions arrived
at, and have not the least doubt that
the invasion Of India and the bringing
, of the millions who inhabit that coun-
try under the benefcent rule of his i'm
t perial majesty the car are not only
( possible, but could be accomplished in
: comparatively short spacc of time
: the exact period requisite depending
: mainly on the moment chosen and the
t conditions of the season when the
e work is undertaken.
t That Russia is intriguing with the
natives is shown by a reference to ''the
: secret agents now engaged in the col
: lection of information respecting the
: trend of events, political and strategic
a on the Persian, Afghan and Kasmil
0 frontiers"
The plan recommended is secretly Il
collect large bodies Of troops on thu
Afghan frontier and a strong force o
= Cossacks at Charog in the Pamir. AL
: being ready and the northern chief
!, and the disgruntled native princes o
India being prepared for their deliv
erance," rush is to be made into AZ
, ghanistan while the Cossacks dasl
= from the north into Chitral, where tn
tribes will rise and join them. A ris
. ing in the Punjab also is expected.
J, England advances in Afghanistan t
meet the Russians she is to be over
h whelmed by superior force. II sh
elects to fight on her strongly fortifie
border, which they call the Peshawa
a -Quetta line-the Russians are t
make feint on Quetta, capture Kabu
and with the aid Of the native tribe
try the Khyber pass, while othe
!. troops are poured in from the nortl
The commissioners-or spies seem
have no doubt as to the uprising Of tn
2 natives Id favor Of Russia.
Characteristic story OF Ruskin.