New Britain herald., 1926-03-24
OXUS RIVER NOW T ID FORE AGAIN
Has Long Been Russian BOun.
 dary in Southwest
Washington. D. c. March ?i--

Washington, n. C.. March 2i-~ | The world IS taking new inter. ! est in the Oxus river which figured , in the war news back in the days Of | Alexander and his conquering eoner- ' als, Recent dispatches report the | seizure by soviet soldiers Of an ! Afghan post on the river, The re- | zion is described in the following . bulletin from the Washington, D, C., headquarters ol the National Geo. graphic society; "Thc Oxus river hos the distinc- tiou ot standing longer as a Russian . boundary In southwest Asia than any other natural feature" says the bulletin. "Onr Of the outstanding bits of empire building during tho nineteenth century was the glacier like but sure advance of Russia to- ward India. an advance that pro- foundly affected British diplomacy and kept British military men con- .stanly on il nervous tension. khok- and Nas gohbled up in 1883, Bok- ,hara in 1868, and Khiva in 1873. Some people had visions Of great Russian army some day sWdrmlns through the Khyber Pass on to the plains of India in an effort 10 make that peninsula part of the Mus coVite domlnlons
 Fixed hy Russo British Commission
 "To combat this possibility Great Britain sought 10 encourage a strong Afghan state as a buffer. Ky lAA7 she induced Russia 10 join her m tho formation Of Eusso-Aighan tno,ndarv commission which settled lon the ONus as the boundary between Ithe two countries for some bhP miles Of ifs length. Since then there have been battles Of British and Russian commercial and political agents, each trying to gain the aS- tendency in Afghanistan; but inc .oxus has remained the physical boundary between Russian ana Afghan territory.
 "The Oxus. or Anu Daria as 1t is called locally, rises in the loily ;pamirs near the common corner o1 Russian, Afghan, and Chinese terri tory, For nearly 500 miles It runs through a narrow, deep gorge. Iheh tbe mountainous banks fall back and # becomes suddenly a river or the plains, a character which II .tl.oeps for its remaining 200 miles .,s inc Russo Afghan border, as well as for the final 800 miles during which 1t strikes across the Bokharah and Khilan plains 10 the sea ol Aral.
 Valley Irrigated
 "0n the Bokharnn side, the OXus Valley. after the river leaves it's gorge. is more fertile than on the ,fghan side. Reed swamps border inc stream on the latter side. Iheh comes strip of willow and tamarish 4unqle which extends to the edge of the flood plain where the elevated desert begins. Thre is much game III this iungle, and even ugers' Al r,aces however, the Afghans nave cleared the immediate river valley have constructed irrigation worhS' and carefully cultivate the land'
 "The world has learned few de- tails of happenings in the oXus val lcy in recent years. Afghanstah '' :, soH elected hermit, a buffer tor un,vs as well as for politics. and hl- tlc information has leaked out thro,rh Soviet Russia. Before the world War Russia had built Inc long Trans Caspian railway through her southern Asiatic dominlohs all" .l,pd run one branch line to the non o1ue horder of Afghanistan near the northeastern corner Of PerS'a'
 IA second branch was under con s,ruction from Bokhara to the oAnS and for the past few years thi8 roa" nos hccn shown on maps as com ,lotad through Kalif on the oXnS aior.. the river to Terme2r abou' midway of the northern AIEi'd' border, Recent British lntor'na'lon however. was 10 the effect that Ih' road would be completed carly 'l'I' voar, The report of tuSS'aI, II, Afzhan clash about coincldcd "''' .bc sunuosrd time Of complHiloh o
 
 >frhan post seized was on an 'S'a'' points too. to the kalit-Iern'" IT. viou. where the rivers olgges' ID Ind is situated. Ii is even asser'e' thnt the capture of inc island IS P'' Iin,inory 10 the bridging of the oAn .,l 41,, extension of the railway ln' present Afphan territory 50 lar ." Amir of Afghanistan has stood an' ,o,utIv against all suggestions una tts territory be 'dofilad' with ralF
 ouecr Horse Drawn Ferry
 "A, EaNll Is the most used oN'l terry Horsepower is employer ! this ferry in unique way '" tho front of larg" flai-ooat 'N rrlc~ extend ont over the water rore is suspended from th" ena ..,c1 roIe and tied 10 bclly-ban' ,asscd around a horse. Thus the l.r' s,Irror's the animals, and 't}'' .wimminE at case, 'o" me lo'''' noat from bank to hank,
 ",4 Earf tro Oyus has hard hanh n, ho,n sides and th" stroam mar .,ins rermancnt width of aho' 5to wards. Elsewhor" 'hc river VaTl' ~~oa,lv with the seasons. In 'iooa
 ,. from I ooo wards a mil" "ld r.s winter width is much 'rsS. lHH' s..am,rs ascend tho sir'am 10 !" 1,r-Iiokhqra railway bridge aoo' ,>a miles down stream from V
 Atrnan boundary and hay" been " r,por,ant factor in Russians 'r"n
 por,auon system In soo'h"'''''