BUSSIAN'S INTENTIONS AND THE AFGHAN FEELING.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 87, 16 March 1885, Page 3

BUSSIAN'S INTENTIONS AND THE AFGHAN FEELING.

The Times correspondent of the British Frontier Commission, writing as far back j a$ .November 18th last, penned : the folk> ( wing significant remarks, Syhich will be, read with much interest m the present crisis :— Many rumors' are fife regarding' Russian activity on the frontier. It is said that Pui-i-Khatun is occupied, and Panjdeh is threatened by Russian troops,, although both places are indisputably Afghan territory, and must remain,^ .unless the Commission is . prepared to sacrifice everything to Russia. Ifit be true that the v±tus,sian Commissioners ( are, not to meet us until the spring, ihe idea that She has m reality no intention of arriving at a peaceful solution of the question ■will be more than'eyqi? firmly jplanted on the Afghan mind. Certainjy it will be difficult for us to account, for the dela^ and apparent want of respVcttb the "British Commissioner. "We can scarcely give the advatfcfesf^jh"ej &a&>n and probable severity of an early'winter tis the reason. If the inhabitants of Hindostan can march and work as;onr~men. and .followers march and work, and as for some time longer I. .hope they will continue to msffcn.ftn^.work, surely the hardy sons of .Bussia cannot plead that the cold is beyond their endurance. However, we need not grumble, for, as I hope to show in-ailater letter, the delay is entirely . to ouriadvantage; Whether the rumors as toXfchfe 1 aggressive action of- Bussia are or ; are v not,trti*e, we^oweto them the Mpft^fcfepKGE ,'IN • THE- DEOF .THE AFG^jMT •v OFFIta'LS TOWABDS USi Js]hjo , Ajneer, is- seriously .alarmed; and his ifee.lings r . as ■usual, react oh. his officials. The seriously menaced ; they know that England only cafcpsave them', and m our presence here th&f recognise' the fact^is it a fact or a mitage? ll^^^ England means to save: th|tei' This feeling is not confined to the Am i e'ei'°6r i lii!B t bffibials ; itlfe shared by his subjects, even by ttlose 'most unfriendly to f us. „ Qm.ot .-"■;■, THE ; FOiITICAL ADVANTAGES . gtrihedby ottriinarch is, that the people of' 'Afghanistan ireeogiustf it as evidence, that wti are'wilHngaß Well as nble to pr^ect^heir independence. They have setetn a l.a i ,r^b,e.xpedjt?oii march thron«*li tl\e|r,cpiii»tfy iwitljpiJt a single cdntrete>^4, ( 6r!Hiiß»nflerßtanding ; and bo excelleujt/bayp..fceen'the /conduct and discipline that there has ; not been a complaint against any. one of .the forci:, soMier or follower, l>y any official or inhabitfrntfo'fithn country, and thus it has b<^h l 'prbvetl! thflit there)' need ,he xio danger m allowing a force of English, aljiea to march thi;oiigU Afghanistan if, a^ilvrtit oV .datidaJiar, wore' threatened. by'lorwgq ihyasiqn.;'* : , , f 'THE .AMEER. , " ; \The , visit of the Ajneertp tUe Vicciroy ofllndia is.a sign that English influence is still predominant at Cabul, The ,f ate of his predecessors and the circumstance aiteiiditig'his'Owo elevation should conrvihce Abdiirtithnlftn Khan that his .interests lie with'tließ^ He receives a subsidy of £12;OOO a year from th« lo'diau ['^oytir'ninent for his good-will,. »^ttiat^j».jik < "Tarfß?i!mßfti^tb\ 1 l'c«o m exchange, .dpu^ul friendship of the .northern .^ya^er; ... The policy , of keeping the wild mountain trihes of Afghanistan as a buffer between Russia and'-IndiiHa an .'admirable one, and the Ameer may the more readily lend himself tb'it ff oiii' the consideration that the aMrb'afiye i'dtilje loss of -his indepon<£&ipevkttd. annexation to oue or the other of f|e .*gjgresßJ*.J3^^fpf(»B which are; pres-sipgihim'on-eith'e^ side, : '.."-'i '.'".'*.'■:■ I!mMG&MX PN I' HE : AtERT. > TliaftEnglan^. basMo 0 ou tne alert is evidentby the fact th at ; the .. New;, Zealand Times* London correspondent's letterla'sttnailcoiitained the followiiigs :— w It is n con.fidbiitly nftserted that Sir Peter lifecTen," vfrhais atthe'head of the expeafttpn' ieht : frtrtn . I«dla ' to meet the Ku6sian J .dpmni|itsioner at;Merv ? appoinbetween tli& $zaris' cloiflinions.'and th'pse of the Atneer of Afglmnißtan r haß wnttep HomelasKing for instructions as to his confab m which he considers notiimpxob|ible. And. it is undorstqpd tb'ftt -Sir Peter Lumsden thinks it possible ? ih*the ! miiy have to suddenly throw himself and his force into the fortress of Herat; >nd aifl the Ameer m defending hV^inlpris."