RUSSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1677, 1 October 1887, Page 3

RUSSIA AND CENTRAL ASIA.

The Vienna correspondent of the •' Daily Chronicle " telegraphs : — " I had a long conversation on the Central Aeiaa question to-day with Baron Koßsick, the Austrian Ambassador at Teheran, who haa recently arrived m Vienna from tho Persian capital. Fie view is that a conflict between England and Russia is bj no means so likely aB generally imagined, and is m any case not imminent. This does not, however, imply that Russia will ceaee her intrigues and encroachment m Central Asia On the contrary, Russia, said Baron Kossick, will continue both, and will steadi'y pursue her conquests southwards. All the sume, there will be no war, as England will not oppose these advances. I s or ia there, said the Baron, any reason why she 6hou!d. England docs not need to defend Afghanistan, as the on y reasonable line of defences f i r her Indian Umpire are the frontier and the mountain passes lending to r, which by naturai eitualion and military fortification have been rendered so formidable that Russia will never venture to attack them Moreover, Russia ban no reason to desire to accelerate events m Asia, and it is to her unquestioned interest to let matters take their course. The natural development of eventj wi 1 almost certainly have the effect of extending her dominion up to tbe Hindoo Ehoosb, ac all the tribes between Tmkestan, Bokhara, and the Hindoo Kboosh are, m the opinion of Baron Eossick, certain to gravitate towards Buseia upon whom they are now com raercially dependent. Russia can, Baron Kostick thinks, afford to wait m Central Asia until the fruit is ripe enough to fall into her capacious mouth