The Washington herald., 1918-03-10
India.


Part of the new German plan, at least is unfold
ing The Kaiser means to strike at India through
Russia
The arrow pointed at-India through Bagdad and
the Persian Gulf has a blunted head now for the
British established in Mesopotamia; but if Viii
helm II can bury knife in flank Of the British
Empire via Turkestan and Afghanistan then, in
deed one of the aching ambitions OF his heart will
have been achieved
Can he do it? Sowing sedition and revolt among
the Hindus has long been OF his favorte sports
He has new opportunities for indulging in it now.
A Turco-Prussian occupation of Odessa, which now
seems inevitable followed by the disintegration of
the Russian armies in the Caucasus which already
is partially accomplished leads to new possibilities
the map. Either through Northern Persia, or
the route north OF the Caspian through trans Ural
Bokhars and the ancestral stamping ground of the
Tartars, Germany send her sedtonists and her
experts in propaganda pouring the Himalsyas-
it the British permit her to do so. 1t is unthink-
able that Prussian armies will attempt an in
vaSion of India through this route However, the
Turks are going to have free hand north of Bag
dad; and their forces oficered by the German gen.
eral staff, may be sent upon an expedition against
India which will change the entire Asiatic status.
I'VE have acquired a direct free route via Rus
sia to Persia and Afghanistan," says the Wolff
Bureau, the German semiofficiaI agency 1t makes
Peking some days ago stated that the Turk and
German propagandists active among the Mo-
hammedans in the province of Sin Kiang, which is
to the northeast of Afghanistan and abuts the
northern frontier of India Here is sufficient
mnder Of the German purpose. Also the peace
terms forced upon Russia at Brest-Ltovsk took
away from Russia districts in the cis-Caucasian
region through which it would be possible for the
Germanic allies to gain entry into Persia, and an
n
nal opposition.
With the emergence OF this new phase OF the
Germanic plan, the importance OF the Japanese
Siberian situation becomes clear. Japan must be-
come the master of Asia ii that is necessary
to defeat the Teutonizaton OF it. Between these
alternatives the allies have choice Whatever
objections the American government may enter
tain must appear academic If in fact a German
thrust at India appears to be probability OF the
new status that is in flux Japan must
hold Asia safe against the Junker tentacles. India
is one reason; certain eminent member OF the
Romanoff family confined at Tobolsk is another
European Russia is a different problem altogether
This part OF the huge congcries OF states that
less than a year ago despotism iron-ruled can
work out its salvation. The only question is
the amount OF time that it will take.
Leninc points out that Prussia signed the peace
OF Tilsit in 1907 by which she abased herself be-
lore Napoleon, through stress OF circumstance, in
exactly the same manner that Russia is humliated
by Germany today. 1t took years for Prus-
sia to come to herself Naturally if it takes Russia
any similar period to throw off the Teuton yoke it
has no direct bearing on the war. In the meantime
it is by no means certain that the extension OF the
German lines in the Near East-perhaps it is en-
tirely within the mark to say the overeXtension-
is not military blunder the part OF Hindenburg
which will cost him dearly.