The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-08-14
The Indian Menace.

The Indian Menace.
Engrossed as the world public is in
events in China. the news, startling if
true. that Abdur Rahman Khan. ruler of
Afghanistan, is about to attack the Rus
sian troops assembled near the border of
his country, may not Immediately attract
much popular attention. But we may be
sure that there is not a foreign office in
Christendom which has not been agitated
by the report. or has not exerted all avail
able means to get it verified or shown to
be baseless. If it should turn out to be
true. international peace could not be
maintained for three months unless Eng
land were instantly able to dissuade the
Ameer from carrying out his alleged pur-
pose.
Simultaneously with the outbreak of the
South African war, which Russian diploma
cy viewed as likely to pTeoccupy Great
Britain for much longer time than eth
er Lord Salisbury or Mr.. Chamberlain sus-
pected, Russia began to mobilize a large
force of troops in a position to make a
quick rush upon Herat, and the passes
which constitute the gates of India. In
ether circumstances the British Govern
ment would certainly have regarded this
movement as hostile. and insisted upon its
abandonment with the alternative of war.
Situated as it was during the disastrous
months Of the Natal campaign, it was COM
PEELED 10 tolerate the spectacle of two hun
dred thousand Russian troops threatening
the northern frontier Of India The s..
Petersburg authorities offered hearty as
surances that this army was not looking
over Abdur Rahman's back fence with any
thought OF evil, but had merely been as
semhIed 10 test the carrying capacity of
the railway across central Asia.
While the London Cabinet was forced
TO be content with this explanation, it
failed at all 10 impress the Ameer. He
knew that it was the settled policy and
purpose of Russia to add Afghanistan to
her string of Asistic Khanates already
subjugated and possessed, and he thought
be might as well fight it out one time as
another. But Afghanis an is a yassal state
of Great Britain. and Abdur Rahman is a
heavily subsidized vassaI prince. who earns
MS keep by holding the northern passes
for his master. As a vassal he is guar
anteed the whole force OF the British En-
pire to preserve the integrity OF his do
minion, but, equally as a vassal, Great
Britain is fully responsible for his con-
duct toward other states.
When the Ameer found that the Rus
SLAMS were establishing a huge army Of
observation on or near his line, and which
might at any moment become an army o.
invasion, he urged Lord Curzon. the Vice
roy of India, 10 join with him in an at
tack on the Russians. Curzon managed
TO hold him back at the time Whether or
not he could do so now is an open ques-
ticn. It is said that Abdur Rahman regards
he Ea-=z=ut a. rha fa--er-. cI,E>e>--
tunity he will ever have to make the IL
evitable fight for the independence of his
country He believes that Russia has toe
much on her hands in China to spare the
enormous forces that he is sure would be
necessary TO carry the mountain Businesses
defended by his fierce and devoted army.
1t is, therefore, possible that he might
break his leading strings and take the
warpath. Then England would be held
responsible. and notified to restrain and
discipline her vassal. or consider hers Ii as
having declared war upon the Gar.
1t IS greatly 10 be hoped that the story
of Abdur Rahmans hostile preparati
may be disc!e itei otherwise, it can readily
be seen that q war between Great Britain
and Russia, almost sure 10 drag other na-
tons into its vortex IS more imminent
than it has been any time since 1854.
We trust that the act of General Joseph