The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-24
RUSSIA AND AFGHANLSTAN.
Britain May He Alta cked In India to
Restore Cars Asiatic Prestige.

To THE EDITOR OF THE SUS-.Sir: The
announcement made by the India Office in
London on Thursday last that on Lord Cur
CONS return to India the Ameer Of Afghanis-
! tan will send his son and heir 10 meet the
viceroy with view to receiving an English
! -pleni potentiary extraordinary" at the court
Of Cabul is ngulary su gestive at a time when
Russia, through a series Of defeats. is in the
depths Of her humiliation. The English
Cabinet has also allowed Rreport to be cir
culated that Russia IL now massing troops
on the Afghan frontier.
Lord Curzon has on many sessions dis
tinctly stated that, while in his opinion Russia
never contemplates "A conquest OF India
the invasion OF India" is seriously intended.
because Russia believes that the key TO the
Bosphorus Is more likely to be won on the
banks of the Hemund then on the heights OF
Plevna. He says: 1T Is the policy OF Rus
STA to keep England quiet in Europe. by keep
ing her actively employed in Asia This is
the sum and substance Of Russias policy with
regard to India. Russia's defAa:. IN Japan
has demonstrated the absolute tsssty Of
keeping her Asiatic subject in Iurkestan
fully employed. Hence the deter mination
Of Russia to mass troops on the Afghan from
tier Hence the determination OF England
to place British resident in Cabul.
The attitude of Russia at the present time
is fully in keeping with her policy in the past.
AS early as I7sl q Russian invasion Of India
was planned by Nj. de st. Genie. and carefully
considered by the Empress Catherine. In
1900 joint expedition against India was de-
signed by the Emperor Paul and Napoleon.
who was at that time First Consul Of France.
At Tilsit In 1907 the idea was revived by Ma
poleon. In 1882 and again In 1887 efforts were
made by the Russian agent vitkievitch to
form an alliance with Afghanistan against
England. which led to the British occupation
Of Cabul In 1885, 1t was always regarded as
suspicious that the terrible mutiny In India
of 1887 followed somewhat closely on the in
vasion of the Crlmea. When the Russo
Turkish war broke out in 1877 Skobeleff drew
UP an elaborate plan for Russian invasion of
India. This plan has been elaborated by
Gen. Kuropathin, who is regarded as the lead
skobelef even went 30 far as to assert that
in his opinion the contact Of even an insis-
nlGant force might Lad to general ,sa InsnT
OF the British Empire in the East"
There is, therefore. no question as 70 the
Of India has in many Of bis published works
declared his conviction that danger threatens
nds 9se net ethsp hand Britain is never
Afghanistan. When Dost n ohammed formed
drew attention to the fact that, when Eng
land annexed the kingdom of Ranleet Singh,
important Ea y slice Ice Of Afghan teTritory' Tie
section in the East; the people are Aighahs
domestic relationships with the tribes occupy
ing the Independent hills which lie between
fn ns. fRoy q %meer o GabS
restoration of this province as the basis OF
and sss ,hs @
pressed ss With the Justice Of this that during
the Indian mutiny of 1888 he actually con.
TO the Ameer Of AfEhanistan as well as the
beautiful, province Of Ceshmire.
which practically places Afghs nistan in the
hands OF Russia. and makes It very difficult
for any Representative OF Great Britain to
There have been three notable occasions on
which this demand has been made; II isIt
sy pSss General Of india T il 1893 when
Shere Ali met lord Mayo at Umhala; in lsl7
at the PeshaTar oonfererce under inEd
demand on the part OF the Ameer Is now CON
sidered to be unreasonable. as events haze
indus. Vs.
that Russia. under the inspiration OF Gen.
Of he! lost prestige in the East by threaten.
iug the Empire Of India. This action may
,i S aran s and chn ssSf sn:
'' lord cnrzon believes that the only way to
check the DESIGNS Of Russia is for Great Brit
ain to undertake the DEVELOPMENT OF rail-
wavs throughout Nshanistan. Beluchstan
and Persia, and thus defeat the aspirations
Of Russia. Referring to railway to seistan,
all the possible suggestions for comnteract:
Ing Russian menace to India by pacific and
honorable means. the construction of rail-
ways Ia at once the least aggressive the
cheapest and the most profitable"
II Ia n curious circumstance that recent
advices from India show that Lord Kitchener
advocates the paoins OF nearly all the British
troops In the healthy mountain regions on
the northwest frontier; and ieNyns the pro-