The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-03-10
TROOPS GOING SOUTH.
Russia Is Reinforcing the Army on
Her Indian Frontier.

st. Petersburg, March 1O.-Russia is
steadily reinforcing her military
strength, both in men and guns. in
the direction of the Indian frontier.
Sensational rumors of the dispatch
of reinforcements for Russian Turke-
stan were current two months ago, but
khey were then denied. The Associat-
| ed Press is now in position to affirm
their truth on the authority of trav-
eler of unimpeachable veracity who
has just arrived from Sashkend, and
who was a personal witness of mill
tary activity on the recently COM
pleted Orenburg-Tashkend and other
strategic railroads through New to
KrasnoVodsk.
Troops, guns and munitions of war
have been moving southwark for two
months Between the middle of
January and the middle of February,
ffty-six military trains, mostly carry
ing artillery, arrived at TasnKend.
The guns were mostly sent from
Merv, from whence a purely military
railway line goes to kursK- The trav-
eler IN question informed, al
though he had no personal knowledge
on the point, that Russian troops had
and garrisoned KaShgar. The Oren-
-Tashkend railroad was SO crowd
ed that the traveller was forced to re-
turn by way of Krasnovodsk.
The Associated Press informant
states that the greatest secrecy is OBJ
served. Travellers, who are rare, must
be provided with special permits from
the minister of war, and are kept un-
der the closest surveillance. The bag
gage of this traveller was twice seized
and searched, although his papers
were regular. 1t is most significant
that local officials have been ordered
not to permit Englishmen to travel in
Russian Turkestan, and captains on
the Caspian have been forbidden to
allow Englishmen to land on the east
ern shore. At KraSnovodSk the in
for ant Of oa ycS
told that two English officers who
were travelling in disguise are Ian
gushing in prison.
Speaking generally the Associated
Press informant said that the greatest
tranquility prevailed in the Turkestan
region. At Bokhara there were only
vague rumOrs that a war was in pro-
gress and absolutely nothing was
known regarding political developments
in European Russia. The only explain
alton of the renewal of Russia's mill
tary activity there is that it is proba-
bly, demonstration to impress Afghan :
istan.
The Associated Press is unable to OBJ
tain any official admission that any I'M
usual military move is in progress, the
statement being made that if guns
were going south, it was simply an or
binary operation in the way of shifting
troops; but a Russian of high position
made the following statement:
Russia has not any designs on India
as England is so fond of alleging. If
Great Britain would only let US alone,
we would not trouble her; we are not
blind to the manner in which Great
Britain has seized the occasion of the
present war to buttresS all her interest
in Central Asia, where we have as vi
tai interests as she; nor can we Rus
SLAMS get over the idea that, sooner or
later a conflict with our traditional en-
envy is inevitable and we realize that
our only path to victory lies in the di-
rection of India.
without going back to Lord Cur
IONS bonbaStic prOclamationS or any
thing prior to the war, and out of con-
sideration for the manner in which she
sought to eTnbarraSS and diScredit US in
its persecution, we recall what Great
Britain has done in Asia since the out
break of hostilities, and ask whether
Russia would not be justified in making
a counter move to Younghusband'S ex-
petition to Tibet. which was in direct
violation of Great Brita1n'S solemn as
suranceS to US.
"Younghusband. you will remember,
negotiated a treaty which so closely
approached protectorate over Tibet,
that the British government was oblig-
ed to administer a public rebuke to
him. Then Lord Kitchener's scheme for
the reorganization of the Indian army
blossomed, and a socalled commercial
expedition was sent to Persia The son
of the Ameer of Afghanistan was next
brought to Bombay. Then pressure
was put upon Turkey to settle the Alden
HinterIand question, and now there is a
project of autonomous Arabia.
Great Britain has been making hay
while the sun shone- But Russia can
not hold her hands and see Tibet and
AfghaniStan converted into BhuIanS or
NapaIs, nor Persia, placed completely
under British influence. I have no per-
sonal knowledge of what, if any, steps
have been taken in Turkestan, but
Great Britain will find Russia is not so
engrossed or helpless as to be obliged
to relinquish border states to her mercy
without a struggle.
CALL ON TILE WILD