The professional world. (Columbia, Mo.) 1901-192?, 1901-11-08
THE KHYBER PASS.
ONLY KEY TO INDIA AND ITS
GOLDEN STRAND.
It May Become in an Anglo-Russian
Struggle Britain's Their
mopylae.

Bombay Letter: Rightly has the
Khyber Pass been called the Key to
India" In all the range of the Himal-
ayas, from Burmah to Beloochistan
there is no opening sufficient to permit
Of the passage of artillery except this
one solitary pass.
No wonder that the British halted the
Russians at Herat and that her guns
are trained on the murmuring Afridis
and all others who dare approach that
priceless key to her Oriental posses
sions. 1t is the point where If ever the
struggle comes for mastery between
Lion and Bear on land the battle will be
fought. 1t will be Britain's Thermopy-
lac.
Already there are signs that the In
dian government recognizes how dou-
bly, important the Khyber Pass has be-
come since the death of the ameer. for
[ hear that the Notifications are to be
strengthened by the addition of some
heavy guns. and every effort directed
toward making it impregnable.
1t was in 1912 that England first
earned the importance of the Khyber
Pass, when Lord Elphinstone's little
army tried to march through the 40
foot pass and was annihilated. n man
only surviving to carry the story to Jel-
lalabad.
1t was in 1877 hat the TeXt crisis
came in Indo-Afghan affairs. Russia
had persisted in sending an envoy to
the court of Shere Ali and he vas on
the way thither, Lord Lytton, then
Vnceroy of India, notified the ameer
that a British mission would be sent to
Kabul at once. The amer replied that
his Russian friends objected, but before
his reply was received Sir Neville
Chamberlain, Major Cavagnari and Il
small party had started for Kabut to
represent British interests. At the en-
trance to the pass the British halted
and Cavagnari was ordered to ride up
and demand permission for them to en-
ter.
The Afghan commander refused per
mission and would have shot Cavagnari
dead if he had not known him. The
refusal of the Afghans to admit the
British troops led to a declaration OF
war, and Lord Roberts made his mem-
orable march across the Khyber Pass
to Kabul. whence Shere Ali had fec
precipitately in company with his Rus
sian friends. The ameer either died OF
| was hlliCu oOLltW III III NSotch any
Yakub Khan. his son reigned instead
signing a treaty with the British gov
eminent which was arranged much t.
the advantage of the latter, through
Cavagnari's diplomacy. By this ar
rangement it was necessary to have
British resident at Kabul and Cavag
mari was selected, after having beer
baroneted for his services. In 1879 Sil
I a,,ic Cauonpnr oc tha rpaipr Uoc nnv
entitled, babe farewell to Lord Roberti
at this fateful spot ana went across tn
Himalayas to take up his residence il
Kabul with the echoes of mutiny We
ringing in his ears. Two months late
the story of the massacre Of the British
resident and his suite reached here.
Roberts was soon in the saddle again
"On to Kabul!" was once more the or.
of the British and sepoy troops, 1t wal
hard work, fighting all the way. bu
Roberts soon subdued Kabul. Yakul
Kahn abdicated and was eXiled to In
dia. Abdurrahman then was mad,
ameer and reigned in his place over tn,
fierce Afghans and Afridis.
What he has been | gave an accoun
of in my last letter and the reason 70
British uneasiness at the moment i
easily loI the question
of the Afghan frontier has never beer
definitely settled with Russia and prob
ably never will be without recourse 4
the arbitrament of the sword. Whel
Russia pushed her lines to Penjdeh
Britain objected unavailingly.
The only opening in the Himaiayas il
a distance of three thousand five hun
dred miles. Surely the Khyber Pass i
tlo lya, fn India with N Unnonannn I
is estimated that five thousand me
could hold it against the world.
RAJAH KAHN.