The Warwickshire Herald. — 1885-07-11 (Birmingham, West Midlands, England)

THE RUSSIANS IN CENTRAL ASIA.  The special correspondent of the Standard, in a despatch dated near Herat, June 29 (vi ll Meshed, July), says : The Russians have to face at Penjdeh a more formidable enemy than the Afghans. Sickness is rife amongst the troops who are "maintaining order' in the territory, and already the mortality has been very severe. Ewaz Khan, a Russianised Turkoman, who has been appointed Governor of Penjdeli, is among the victims. Popular rumour here does not favour the belief that a final solution has hen found for the frontier question. It is generally reported that the Russians are only waiting for the autumn to advance on Herat. Meanwhile the British mission continues its quiet work of observation and patient watchfulness. The camp at present is pitched at a place between Kurukh and Hei at.  The correspondent of the Tinter with the Afghan Frontier Commission, writing fr. in Chiba Gas on the Nth of May, says : "At Raniani Bihisht we found an Afghan outpost much exercised by the proceedings of some Russians on the Persian s.de of the stream, who took great precautions to remain hidden, and were probably surveyors. Itipsia has got so accustomed to take what she wants from Persia— witness her action in the Dereghez Atralis and at Sarakhs—that asking is a mene formality. We shall probably soon hear that Persia has been informed that that part of Khorassan which lies along the left bank of the lied. Rini has always been and is now Russian territory." Referring to the advance of the Russians towards India, the correspondent writes: "The 'confidence trick,' to use a homely simile, is, let us hope and pray, played out, as far 88 Russia and England are concerned ; but— come peace, come war—the cost of guarding India and the cost of our home defences mnst be largely increased. Already the Russian pressure, so laughed at, is telling, and must telhniore and more heavily in the future, unless she retires to her old line of boundary. No man knows better than De Lesser that the question is not one of a few acres of desert and a few nomads in their kibitka.. In one word, if Russia does not retire to her preper boundaries, it means that the m.litary expenditure of India and of England must be increased to the cale necessary to enter u; on a huge war at any moment that it may suit Russia to force such a war Nein us; and it should mean also that, being so circumatanced, England must take her place again as a great European Power, and join hand and glove with Germany in maintaining the peace of the world." The retirement of the Afghans from the Zulfikar pass is thus explained : "From Cliihil Gaz we spent a pleasant day over the hills, passing to }Cares Elias and back by the Nibalsheni Pass, from which we saw the opening of Zulffkar, where the Russian outposts are now stationary. Formerly Afghans were there also; but the Russians were always inviting them to fight, and trying to provoke a row in every possible way. They kicked over their stacks of firewood, and said that if they would not tight they had no business there and would be made prisoners of. But the Afghans could n..t go on suffering this for ever, and, having no alternative, wisely retired. Russia. at any rate, knows what that useless thing 'prestige' means, and she apparently not only values it, but will risk much to ensure the retention of it. With all one's hatred of the tricks and deceptions to which she permits, nay, encourages her officer, and agents to descend, ene cannot help admiring the determination with which she advances steadily and deliberately to her object, never swerving a hand's-breadth more than is absolutely necessary from her line of action."  A man named William Burt, a smock-tuaster, is in custody at Great Yarmouth on the charge of attempting to murder has wile by cutting her throat, and inflicting serious wounds urou a man named John Andrews. The motive was jealousy, Mrs. Burt and Andrews having been found together at the lattei's home.