Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-15
Lord Curzon's Policy as an
Empire Builder.
NOT LIKE CECIL RHODES
1NDIA'S vICEROY DEPENDS UPON
SYSTEMATIC sTATESMANsHIP.
Various Races Consolidated Success
Due to knowledge Curzon Acquired
While Youthful Traveller.

Copyright. 1904, by the Publishers Clearing Coz
The severe illness Of Lady Curzon. wife
of the viceroy of India, has aroused an ex-
element far beyond the agitation created
even by the death of personages Of imperial
or royal blood in recent years. Is this due
merely to the romantic fact that an Amer
lean lady of particular loneliness has be-
come the first lady Of the legend-wreathed
Indian empire? While this is true to q GER
tain extent, there are. however. more i'm
portant motives for the widespread interest
taken by Europe and America in the fates
Of Lord and Lady Curzon.
The fact is that Lord Curzon is at the
present time the greatest British empire
builder since Give and Cecil Rhodes, with
out the disastrous consequences Of the lat
ter's constituencies policy which cost Eng
land SO dear in blood and treasure and
spread the seeds Of hate far and wide
among the Dutch element In South Africa.
Lord Curzon's conQuests are carried on
peaceably, or nearly SO, with systematic
craftsmanship based upon acknowledge OF
those vast Asiatic regions acquired by the
youthful traveller. scholar and foremost
author on Central Asia, Mr.. Curzon. To
understand Lord Curzon's policy it is neces-
sary to study his works: Russia In Cen
trail Asia and the Anglo-Russian Cues
tion;" Persia and the Persian Question:"
Problems of the Far East" These works
contain the germs of all his future actions
in his vell-nigh sovereign position In India.
a position which the British government
has wisely renewed to permit the viceroy
the consummation of his mission. which Is
indeed on the point of being crowned with
success.
The bitter criticisms of Lord Curzon's
''break-neck" policy which he inaugurated
since his appointment to Calcutta, and the
extraordinary boldness with which he APP
preached the most difficult and delicate IN
sxt1a z,r,i,, %
his success in consolidating the various
races. and in solving the still more arduous
task of satisfying the rigid differences Of
the Brahmanic, Zoroastrian. Buddhist.
MuSSulIAan and Christian religions. After
having accomplished his task in the interior
Of the vast realm, and strengthened the
army by bringing about the command of
England's greatest soldier. Lord Kitchener.
CurZon took up the other great problem
of insuring the frontiers of the Indian en-
pire. So long as Great Britain remains
the foremost naval power in the world,
India is secured from the sea. The inner
difficulties and possibilities of revolt from
the interior having been removed. there re-
mains only the immense northern frontier
to be well guarded and protected so far IS
the natural barriers of the Hfmalayas do
not accomplish the task.
Aided by Circumstances.
In this mission. 1t is true, Curzou was
greatly aided by the circumstances. So long
as Russias strength lasted unimpaired. or
at least so long as the legend Of Rus5ia's
supreme military power was generally ac-
cepted. the insurance of midas vast north
ern semi-circle was very doubtful and pre-
carious. How far Mr.. CurZon may have
been instrumental in the Anglo-Japanese al
lance and It's consequences so disa Strous to
Russia may never become known. But
this complication has removed for a long
time to come the weight of the Russian
colossus from India. General Kuropatkin.
| the Trainer of an ingenious plan Of invasion
Of British India, will exhaust his military
sfa's available European and Asiatic forces
in his mastery retreat from the pressing
forces of the mikado. The Russo-Japanese
war; while 1t certainly will cost England her
cherished hopes for Chinese territory IN the
Yang-tse-kiang valley. has nevertheless
enabled the Indian viceroy to pluck the
fruits Of his policy in India; in fact. he has
already triumphed over the last obstacles
in his way in those regions. The South AZ
rican war had greatly eclipsed British in
fiuence in Central Asia, and Russia did, in
deed. all In her power to make this i'm
preston and it's consequences lasting Lord
Curzon has simply given Russia dose of
her own medicine during her troubles He
has broken Russia's influence In Persia
1t is true that the shrewd oriental policy
of the Shah of Persia has not readily put
the English in the place of their rivals,
but has engaged a large number Of officials
from smaller state which can constitute
no political danger to the country. A large
number of Belgians administrate today the
inner economic affairs of Persia, especially
| the treasury. custom. mail and coinage de-
partment. The building of the port of En-
sell on the Caspian sea. which is destined
to be the principal point of communication
with Europe, and the irrigation system
of South Persia, is In Dutch and Belgian
hands. While this is not especially graft
flying to Lord CurZon, it is enough that
Russian influence should have been broken.
Territory Enlarged.
In Arabia Curzon's agents have succeed
ed in greatly enlarging the British terri
tory of Alden. and England practically