CanÌƒon City record. [volume] (CanÌƒon City, Colo.) 1883-192?, 1900-05-03

sian 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 degree sec
ond only to the interest in the war
news from South Africa These papers
were sold in London by man who
formerly was connected with the office
of the Russian general staff. and who
had fallen ont with his employers and
fled to England. The documents show
that Russia regards England's diff
Guilty as her opportunity. and has late
1y been making every preparation to
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 and
religious leaders sounded" and pol
icy for stirring up the border chiefs
and the native princes of the coveted
country has been formulated. Henry
Norman and an anonymous writer
have challenged the authenticity of the
papers, but though 1t is admitted. as
Mr. Norman asserts. that some OF the
place-names are misspelled-as Samar-
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.
niness. Attempts to discredit have not
succeeded. The Russian officers who
made the investigation and reported
were Col. Ukroff Naraskoi. Capts. Bas-
ilovich Markofi and Yonoff Kriminski,
and Vasiloff Karskoi, secretary of the
comm ission. 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 1t well to state. for the informa-
tion 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
~ 10 i'm
;perial majesty the czar are not only
possible, but could be accomplished in
a comparatively short space of time.
the exact period requisite depending
mainly on the moment chosen and the
conditions of the season when the
work is undertaken.
That Russia is intriguing with the
natives is shown by reference to the
secret agents now engaged in the col.
lection of Information respecting the
trend of events. political and strategic.
on the Persian, Afghan and Kasmir
frontiers"
The plan recommended is secretly to
collect large bodies of troops on the
Afghan frontier and strong force Of
Cossacks at Charog in the Pamir. All
being ready and the northern chiefs
and the disgruntled native princes of
India being prepared for their deliy-
erance." a rush is to be made into Az
ghanistan while the Cossacks dash
from the north into Chitral. where the
tribes will rise and join them. A ris-
lag In the Punjab also is expected. II
England advances in Afghanistan to
meet the Russians she is to be over
wheimed by superior force. II she
elects to fight on her strongly fortified
border. which they call the Peshawar
-Quetta line-the Russians are to
make feint on Quetta. capture Kabul,
and with the aid of the native tribes
try the Khyber pass. while other
troops are poured In from the north.
The commissioners-or spies-seem to
have NO doubt as to the uprising Of the
natives In favor Of Russia.