The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-07-31
RUSSIA IN AFGHANlSTAn
a Plan to Increase Her Inau-
ence In That Country.
FRIENDLY ADVANCES TO AFaHANs

Distruxt of the Museovite said 70
Have Acquired a Less Restrained
AcsTbity Under Present Ameer's
PoIicy-BriI1iant Move Of Cars
Agents 70 obtain Representation at
the Afghan Capital
According to late arrival from In
dia with large trading connections in
the northern proSznces, it is interesting
10 notice how the Russians in spite Of
their prescriptions in north China are
doing the utmost that lies In their pow
er 10 permeate Afghanistan with their (
influence and subyert that hitherto ex-
Iereised by Great Britain in the country, |
saws the Pail Mall Gazette.
| Their opportunity undoubtedly came |
when death removed the Amer Abdur
rahman. who, Jealous as be was ready
10 show himself Of every fancied Brit
tsh encroachment, was nevertheless an
inveterate opponent of the aggressive
power on his northern borders, whose
offers OF amity he SO well knew how to
| estimate at their true value. When he
died the dread and hatred Of the Rus
sian to Z great extent lost that vitality
Ia Afghan policy with which il had al
ways been inspired BY Abdurrahman's
Intimate personal acquaintance with
the methods and aims Of his former
jailers
Consequently those points Of discus
sion with the Indian government which
were always subordinated to the su
nreme distrust entertained for the Mus
oovite have under his successor acquir-
cd a less restrained acerbity. Proper
tionately. too, the increasing friendly
advances by the Russians, TO the At
! CHAN government In particular and to
! the people generally, have not Of late
encountered anything like the same I'M
3 compromising attitude as in former
times,
. Everywhere in the bazaars Of India,
r those mysterious receptacles OF news,
$ there is talk at the present moment Of
increasingly strained relations between
I the Indian government and the ameer
And there is now little doubt In ofliciai
i circles that tie recent seizure ana de
t, tention of Colonel Yate was due to di
!. rect inspiration from Kabul Or that IN
> incident forms d very unpleasant indi
+ cation Of the disposition Of the presen
.e ameer toward the indian government.
j. While this feeling Of hostility haf
been developing fortune has proved sig
a nally favorable to Russian attempt
1T closer intimacy. The recent increas
It | az famine iii the northern districts 0
Afghanistan afforded an excellent O.
,e portunlty, which the Russians have NJ
ut allowed to pass Of posing in the gus
IN of generous benefactors Of the peopi
q, iii their hour Of need.
"a They have thrown open their stores
r. grain to the starving people and pr
ke yidea them with the necessities OF IL
free IF All charge. That such highl
politic action viii 20 unrewarded By
= corresponding inclination Of Angina
sentiment Ii highly improbable Il
y gratitude of hungry men Is not largel
~ syaved BIZ considerations of high poiie
~ which they 10 not altogether unde
~ stand. And Russia may congratuia
~ herself on an achievement which
yea likely to bear excellent fruit
But this is not all she has been don
IL this direction. For some time 81
has persIstently endeavored to obta
~ representation at the Afghan capifS
= hitherto she has failed, but that by
4 means implies an abandonment OF =
= attempt. Russia abandons nothm
= THE desire to establish Russian 81
= lbassv in Kabul apart from the susl
~ elon with which it was always regaI
- ia NV tie late ameer and In a secon
d hand fashion by his son, is q pro1t
- which England could never perm
- But that by hook or by crook her ageI
= should 20 to Kabul, whether ofnela
- accredited or not, Russia was fuily
- termined. Accordingly she has
~ about II iii her own characteristic w
Carefully selecting her men So
e. months ago, she sent them, to the nu
= = her of FIVE. In the guise Of ordlns
- travellers through the country TO
- capital. Here for a short Tune =
- were placed under a sort Of arrest.
- wag not long. however, before they :
= tanned their freedom Their next 2
liiant move was to embrace Mohaml
4 danism and become subjects Of
ameer. after which no further rest
- tons were placed on their going
coming among the Afghan people. ~
a have approved themselves most Sc
- lous ana devout followers Of the pro
- Iet ana. with the iudicious backing
- the Russian government to assist ia
~ this surreptitious crusade has =
- prosecuted under the happiest auspl
- There il much, therefore, affeci
the present relations Of India with
~ ghanistan which in nowise can pc
"a tend toward the continued mai
nance Of the close connection which
- subsisted since Lord Roberts mare
~ from Kabul to Kandahar and DIS
- cred thousands Of pounds N Rus
. gold. even in those days consplc'
- clement iii Afghan politics
a. While the ameer is, through his
g Die. accepting Russian hospitality =
- north and is himself admitting
slams 70 residence In KabuL he l
resting and imprisontng British of
on the Indian border line. II + a
pleasant conjunction Of eircumsta