The evening times., 1900-06-30

while at Ta-lien-wan, M0ukden, New
chwang. Harbin, and other recently Rus
sianiZed Chinese cities were located thou
sands Of soldiers, none OF which garrisons
is mentioned by Lord Beresford- Even
now troops from Odessa are arriving at
Port Arthur by water. 10.000 having reach
ed that fortress quite recently.
To Lord BeresfoTds estimate should a'so
be added the Ochrania, or COssacks. de-
tailed for duty along the line of railway in
Manchuria, besides the constantly arriv-
ing new troops. So that today Russia's
forces at the farther end OF her military
drag-net are probably considerably over
2OO, ,OGO strong.
Nor does Russia rely only on her rail-
roads for means of invasion. Lord Beres-
ford has pointed out that the breeding
ground of all Chinese horses, Mongolia, is
practically in the hands Of Russia; he
might have also added with equal truth
that at the other end of the net, in Cen
tral Asia, Russia has an army OF over hve
million Kirghiz steeds. the best army
horses in the world, while Great Britain's
entire equine population is estimated at
but something over half this number. So
that along her line of Asiatic frontier Rus
sia has stretched an army OF half a mill
lion soldiers. with fully ten million horses
and camels to mount them and supply
pack trains for carrying provisions and
forage across the desert.
ITO offset this England has in India
about 10G.OO0 white men who would bear
arms in time of war and 400, 900 native
soldiers and police. who. if not disaffect-
ed. could be relied upon to defend her
Indian frontier. but serious setbacks in
South Africa could not but seriously en-
danger British superiority in Hindostan.
France Helping Actively.
This. then. in brief is an outline Of Rus
sia's and Eugland's apparent military
strength in Asia during the closing year
of the century. but from the southeast
corner Of Asia another military Gordon.
go, 600 strong. is advancing northwaTd and
westward. its two ends evidently destined
to meet those OF the Cars advancing
lines France. Russia's ally. is forcing her
way into China as she has never done be-
fore. Ignoring the protests Of England
and of British merchants in the Yangtze-
kiang Valley. French forces invade South
ern China. and the echoes OF the battles
with the Chinese are heard in London and
Paris in which latter capital deputies Of
the nation openly declare in public speech
es that France and England cannot long
! defer war with each other. From the
! House OF Lords in London comes the de
| spairing cry OF the Earl of Rosebery.
Z VINO on tne lbll OF teDIuaEy OF lue pres
! ent year delivered himself Of the follow
! ing pertinent and timely remarkse before
! his colleagues in the House OF Lords:
The crisis in South Africa is urgent
] but we must not keep our eyes on South
/ Africa alone. Last December the Gov
! ernment made vigorous overtures TO two
I great powers, Germany and the United
! States. for an alliance, but those overtures
I were not received with such cOrdiality as
/ TO encourage the Government 10 pursue
| them. IL does not appear tha, the friend
! ship OF France would bear any great strain
! and as to Russia. events have been re-
! Gently witnessed in Persia about which
/ England would formerly have had some
/ thing to say. but which she now passes
( unnOticed. 1 would tell Her Majesty's
I Government now that Il is for Us a matter
I of life and death II Great Britain were
| to lose South Africa she would lose the
! most important base outside of the United
/ Kingdom. and she would lose her colonial
I support II another 50 coo men should be
wanted for South Africa / do not know
where they would be got It may be said
that it is unwise to lay bare the weak
nesses Of the country: but. depend upon Il
{ other natioCDs know our position as vel
I as If not better than, ourselves. II this
I is not life-and-death crisis do not know
/ what is
And the day following this remarkable
| Utterance Of LOrd ROsebery the Australian
Parliament hOtIy discussed the danger Of
I sending more troops to South Africa wheI
they might be needed nearer home in
/ greater crisis.