The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-27
Could Russia Invade india?

Could Russia Invade india?
The solution of the problem of trans
porting an army long distance by a
single line of rail-a problem which Rus
STA has had before her in the war with
Japan-Ls watched nowhere with more
eager interest than is manifested by the
British military authorities in India.
The question whether Russia can or
cannot successfully invade India has
been debated for several years past, but
at no time so anxiously as at this moment;
for by the result of the efforts Russia is
putting forth over her Siberian railway,
it will be possible to judge how far she
could hope for success in an attack on
India under more favorable conditions.
Among the British administrators
and military chiefs in India there was
for long time sharp division of opinion
on the subject; but during the last few
years the conviction seems to have been
reached that the danger is real and
must be guarded against, and now the
only question is how it can be met. The
so-called forward school" was for pass
ing over the frontier tribes and Afghan
stan, and going out to meet Russia on
the ground she had appropriated through
the same methods that carried her to
the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan.
The other policy was to let Afghanistan
and the frontier tribes severely alone in
their mountains, with high passes and
defiles nanked by preoipices to serve as
natural first barrier to the invader,
and then. when the enemy's wearied
and struggling army emerged upon the
Indian plains, to dispose of it there.
When the discussion of 1ndia's danger
first began, SKoBELEFF had planted the
Russian standard at Merry, after almost
incredible difficulties in the way of sup
plies and transport. For the invasion
of India, which was one of his dreams,
he calculated that at that time it would
take at least 10000 men to guard the
lines Of communication and if the route
was through northern Afghanistan by
Kabul and the Khyber Pass, not less
than half million of transport animals
would be required to bring 10000 men
to the banks of the Indus. The base
then would have been on the shores Of
the Caspian. Since then circumstances
have changed Russia has now two lines
of rail by which to bring her troops to
within comparatively short distances
of the Indian frontier. The first is the
trans Caspian line from Krasnovodsk,
with its steamer connections with Baku
in the Caucasus and Astrakhan on the
yolga; and the other is the newly COM
pleted link from Orenburg to Tashkent
that puts ST. Petersburg and Moscow
! in direct railway communication, as de-
sired, with Andijan on the borders of
Chinese Turkestan on the one hand, and
with Kushk, short distance north of
Herat, on the other. And, as If these
were not sufficient for it's purposes, the
| Russian Government has recently d.
rected surveys to be made for the con-
struotion Of a railway direct from Sa-
MARYLAND to point above Khilif on the
Amu-Darya or Oxus, where that river
forms the boundary between Russia
and Afghanistan. In the summer season
communication between Charjui, at
which place the trans Caspian railway
crosses the ANU -Darya, and Khilf is
kept up by steamers and barges.
! In addition to the increase of transport
facilities which the Russian Government
has thus provided by ruil and water, the
question Of supplies for men and animals
no longer presents the difficulties it did
for LAzAREFF in 1879 when he took five
months and n half to collect provisions
for his $4,000 men and transport animals
before he could advance step from the
shores of the Caspian. Since then, and
during the construction of the railways
connecting the chief centres of Russian
| Turkestan settlements of Russians have
been planted on the fertile lands along
the rivers and in the valleys among the
mountains. and agriculture has made
such progress that provisions can now
be collected in the country and trans
ported to the bases Of operations at the
railroads at Kushk or Andijan, and at
whatever point on the Amu-Darya may
be determined on. The problem Of q
Russian invasion of India up to certain
point has thus been simplifed.
On the British side preparations have
been making for several years to meet
invasion at three points-at Quetta near
the Afghan frontier on the road to Kan
dahar, at Pesbawur in advance Of the
Indus, toward the Khyber Pass; and At
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