The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-20
ISSIA'S STEADY MOVE
| y, Il, Frontier Of India Has a Suspl-
cIous Look 10 Il.
!, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BRITAIN.
u states Are Being Rapidly
heated and the Empires Will
~ lie Alongside Each Other

vork February 19.-The Herald
" II spite Of pacific disposition of the
~ t,sr, persistent rumors credit the
en- government with the desire to
advantage in India the difficulties
:, britain finds herself in South
Certain recent movements OF
I'M. diplomatic agents and military
.npear to bear out the inference
:, AZ opportunity is too favorable to
..,leeted for pushing the traditional
..,,v Of Russia in her Aslatlc advance
.,neuse OF her chief rival on the
-, Great Britain. Count Muravieff,
ppssIan foreign minister, is said to
y. committed an indiscretion last au-
during his visit to Paris in sound
a, french foreign minister to COM
IL action in putting pressure on the
-r,n enemy--Great Britain. Such an
..,,on has been disavowed by Russian
a.,ou,ats in England. where the Import
n maintaining friendly relations so
!, secure the inflow OF capital into Rus
!. n furtherance Of the policy OF NJ.
!. utte the finance minister. is fully
,,,.,ood But the Indication of Count
anr.ysff's hostility has unfortunately
-. allowed by the announcement that
.Nssa Is again pushing her agents into
ss.sar,,tan seeking the establishment
a-r agency at Cabul; that she Is
s-,ssthening her hold upon Persia in or
y, "a secure an outlet on the Persian
Il, and that she has moved troops close
!, ,hs Afghan border, within march OF
=, or Uerat and Is active in Kashgar, at
" other end of the Afghan border. The
m,nnsrIn which Russia brushed aside tho
| isu,s Of the treaty of Paris which closed
Il. BLACK sea to her navy at a moment
vs.n France was engaged In her strug-
i. with Germany and Britain, the French
n IN the Crimean war, could make no
,s.rye protest, lays her open to sus-
| rI,lon and distrust when she declares her
| rt,n,lon OF preserving an attitude OF be-
| ,,voent neutrality.
Rissia's explanation in the present in
ssucs has apparently been accepted by
n, British government, namely that the
pavement OF her soldiers is merely an
srusrlment. without any hostile signi-
| tcance. The Indian government has as
mmed itself that the ameer Is in good
. Asslth and that there is no prospect OF any
. thange In her attitude to his British
| allies.
The points Of contract between the Rus
| sian and British empires in Asia arc con-
SANITY increasing. The buffer states are
| gradually being eliminated, and the time
when the frontiers of the two eropires
viii march together seems not far off.
To take the case of Persia, it has been
hely stated in the Turkestan Gazette
\ that the Russian government has already
| nken in hand the construction of Julfa-
Tibrizr Hamadan railway with branch
lhe TO 'r01eran as far as Bandara Abbas,
| The bottom of the Persian gulf the work
B to be carried on under the supervision
officers Of the general staff with the
i;sisance OF Cossacks and is exported to
BE- finished ia 1908.
This route has been selected because 1t
trayerses the most important districts for
Russia from an economic and strategic
point OF view. In Persia. as In Asia
Minor. Russia's object, pursued with de-
mrnined tenacity, is to obtain an outlet
70 the sea on the south TO command the
worlds high road of commerce to the
far East. The Transsiberian railway VIII
4 nse her an all Russian route to North
en- China, but the persistence with which
sAe Is aiming at securing alternative
Ioltes by pushing southwark, entering into
heen rivalry not only with Great Britain
but also with Germany and France work
ing In Asia Minor. indicates the enormous
scale Of her ambition.
Another railway projected by Russia is
y connect her commercial centers with
central Asia by the shortest route. 1t Is
run from the souh, Of European Russia
Iurkestan, which possesses natural re-
sources scarcely inferior to those of Sibe-
ma.
In the development of this railway pol
y, Of Russia 1t is not necessary to see
my the extension OF a great military
umpire. The enormous population of South
aussla Is showing a commercial develop
uent which would be checked II not ar
rested by enterprises of pure conquest
tven In Afghanistan, which has so long
oeen the bone OF contention between Rus
"a and Great Britain it is held by Brit
~ statesmen that connecting line be-
.seen Merv through Herat to Quetta
saefe II would Join the complete system
hlltsh Indian railroads, would aid in
s.umo,ing civilization by developing com
aaews Hence, though there seems little
s,ust mat there Is truth in the rumorf
me russians moving bodies OF troops
sons their Central Asiatic railways 1t Is
Urn remembering that these are largel,
M Ssu IN the construction Of the lines
slls explanation, it appears. has been ae-
~pseo by the British government which
nnhe taking precautions for self-defense
"a ~ shown a disposition in its genera
s'hcy, not only in North China but a's'
81 tersia and Asia Minor. to co-operat
49, 49, the other powers where an "opsI
sopr policy IL POSSIBLE.