Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-03-10

who was a personal witness Of military
activity on the recently compleleu
Orenburg- Tashkend and other strateg-
lie railroads thru Merv 10 Krasnovodsk.
Troops. guns and munitions OF war
have been moving southwark for two
months. Between the middle or jan
uary and the middle of February fifty
six military trains, mostly carrying ar
tillery arrived at Tashkend. The guns
were mostly sent from Merv, whence a
purely military railway line goes TO
kursk. The traveller in question was
informed, altho he had no personal
knowledge on the point that Russian
troops had crossed Pamirs thru Terek
pass and garrisoned Kashgar. The
Orenburg- Kashkend railroad was SO
crowded that the traveller was forced
to return 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 under
the closest surveillance. The baggage
Of this traveller was twice seized and
searched, altho his papers were regu-
lar. 1t is most significant that local
officials have been ordered not to per-
nit Englishmen to travel in Russian
Turkestan and steamship captains on
the Caspian sea have been forbidden
to allow Englishmen to land on the
eastern shore At Krasnovodsk the in
formant OF the Associated Press was
were travelling in disguise are Lam
gushing in prison.
Speaking generally, the Associated
Press informant said that the great
est tranquility prevailed in the Turke-
stan region. AT Bohara there were
only vague rumors that a war was in
progress, and absolutely nothing was
known regarding political develop
ments in European Russia. The only
explanation of the renewal of Russia's
military activity there is that it prob
ABLY is demonstration to impress At
ghanistan.
No Designs on India.
The Associated Press is unable here
to obtain any official admission that
any unusual military move is in pro-
gress, the statement being made thai
| If guns We're going south it was SIM
ply an ordinary operation in the way
Of shifting troops; but a Russian OF
high position made the following
statement: Russia has not any de-
signs on India, as England is SO fond
of alleging. If Great Britain would
only let us alone we would not trou-
BILE her, but we are not blind to the
manner in which Great Britain has
seized the occasion of the present wal
| to buttress all her interests in centra
Asia, where we have as vital interests
as she; nor can we Russians get over
| the idea that, sooner or later, con-
fict with our traditional enemy is in
evitable, and we realize that our only
path to victory lies in the direction OF
India
! without going back to Lord Cur
zon's bombastic proclamations or any
| thing prior to the war and emitting
| consideration Of the manner in which
| she has sought to ambarrass and dis
credit us in it's prosecution. we recall
what Great Britain has done in Asia
since the outbreak of hostilities, ant
ask whether Russia would not be JUS
titled in making a counter move te
| Younghusband's expedition to Tibet
which was in direct violating of Greal
| Britains solemn assurances to us.
| "Younghusband, you will remember
negotiated treaty which so closely
approached a protectorate over Tlbe'
! that the English government was
| obliged to administer public rebuke
| to him. Then Lord Kitcheners scheme
| for the reorganization of the Indian
army blossomed and so-called com
| mercial expedition was sent to Per-
STA. The son of the Ameer of Afghan
| istan was next brought to Bombay
| Then pressure was put upon Turkey
| to settle the Alden Hinterland question
and now there is project of auton-