Evening star., 1901-10-04
THE TROUBLE AT KOWEYT.
Eneland's Interest in the Persian Gul
Route In India.


From the New York Tribune
The trouble OF menace of trouble, at the
upper end of the Persian gulf affords a
striking Illustration Of the way In Which
centers of international interest shift and
change Once Cbnstantinople and the Dar-
danelles commanded the worlds attention
and one nation was ready to go to war
rather than let another gain paramount
influence there. Then interest was trans
ferred to Egypt and the Suez canal, ana
Cons9antinople was lrelegated to the dlplo-
matte lumber room. The time is Weil re-
membered when the war cloua IN tie
Balkans darkened the world and ver1-
table Arma geddon was looked for In tnat
peninsula But later China was perceived
to be the place of all places where the
nations were likeliest to clash. Just now
the Persian gulf holds the center Of the
scene A little while ago Russia estab-
lished herself at Bander Abbas, on the
Persian shore Of the Strait Of Ormuz, the
entrance to the gulf. Now Turkey Is try
ing to assert her authority on the Arabian
shore Of the head of the gulf, and Great
Britain Is forcibly preventing her from so
doing, while Germany, France and Russia
are all supposed to be deeply interested In
the case.
There is reason for such interest. The
Persian gulf, taken In connection with the
Tigris- -Euphrates Valley, promises to Of
ford a most important highway from Eu-
formidable rival to the Suez-Red sea route,
being much shorter and quicker. OF course,
Great Britain feels deep interest In all
routes from Europe to India, similar to
that which this country feels in routes
across the American isthmus.s Besides, she
has already a very large commerce with
Bussorah and Bushire and other places
on or near the Persian gulf. The interest
Of Germany is readily explained by the
fact that it is she that is building rail-
road which when complete Is to extend
from the North sea to the Persian gulf
without a break There Is also consider
abel British share In the same project
Russia, evidently, wants to make Persia
a Russian province and thus gain 'front.'
age on the Arabian sea and Indian ocean.
AS for France, she Is Russia's ally. and
many has usurped her place, or what she
regarded as her place. in Syria and Meso-
potamia So all these nations now
paying close attention to the Persian gulf.
Just why Turkey is seeking to mass
troops at Koweyt is not at once apparent.
Koweyt is in Ell Hasa. which is nominally
a Turkish province. There seems to be no
reason for coercing or terrorizing that
province which has remained peaceful and
loyal The Turkish plea that troops are
intended for service In Ell Yemen is scarce
ly to be accepted. Perhaps there is trouble
in Ell Yemen. There usually is But no
Turkish commander would ever seriously
think Of marching an army thither from
Ell Hasa, through the Independent Arabian
state Of Nejd and across the great sandy
desert Of Dehna. Turkey is more probably
creating this trouble at Koweyt for the
sake Of setting the European powers by
ears She does not feel at all kindly
toward them, especially since their inter
vention in Crete and since the more recent
action OF France in the matter of the
quays and the French claims. 1t would
suit her book to get them quarrelling
among themselves, but it does not yet sp-
pear that she will succeed in doing so.
There was, of course, no truth In the wild
tale that Germany, France and Russia
would back her against Great Britain,
since German and. British interests in the
case are largely identical As for Russia,
her game will probably be to let Great
Britain coerce Turkey at Koweyt, and at
the same time seize for herself compensat-
ing advantages 1T Bander Abbas or else
where Great Britain, therefore, is likely
to carry her point at Koweyt and thus
maintain the status quo at that end Of the
gulf But what may happen at the other
end Is another story.