WHY RUSSIA DESIRES WAR.

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

WHY RUSSIA DESIRES WAR.

> Tlie St. ' correspondent -of: theStViTaine's' Gazette, writing of tihe: ijbsitibri of affaire m Russia, sa^: — • r syoip|ibmi bf fear, not only fo-r the; iperßorifti' sa^ty' of the Czar, but ; of : a i general xifeing, and especially of a mili-1, abourid on every side* Peett- \ lation. and .of&aal , corruption,, after re-' ceivaiu; A Hionientary'.. check, are as rife as:everjtv Immediately after theßnssowar the Czar made a spasmodic attempt which almost resulted m his • bringing one of his own near relatives before a. court-martial ; but of late he has ; .Heehied to ficknoWledge that the task ot feteSnsingsufcli "&^ 'gigtotic Augean stable! ftslh^e Russian 1 Adinitiistratioh is beyond; ieven, jua't^eoretica^y , unbounded power, an,d things, have, gradually drifted, back .to -their fprmerj deplorable state, jew baiting^NihUisthiniting, oppression of the Baltic provinces m the -west, and. ex-; tension ; pf the frontier m the east on the principles laM down m General SkobolefFs : celet?ratei ietWr, stiffice to fully occupy :^be time^ andjattention of the Emperor's: .present, '(cpim'cillors, who would regard: j ■Any attempt at internal reform as a», j»ost dangerous proceeding. The, more/•^intelligent and enlightened members; 1 ■ -even of the Conservative party view : the situation mith undisguised alarm, i The higher the pressure at which the» j 'machinery of despotic Government is- j feeing driven, and the tighter every j Bafety .valve is being 1 screwed down, the. j more yibient and disastrous, they prog- | will' be* 'the final explosion.. ,That. the present state of. ! affairs carinob ; last much longer, V unless public atten-; | ;tion is distractedrfrom home matters byf | I agreat-fwat, I !' iis an article of faith with j ' every senSble man throughout the em- • pire;" - ■- ; •■' ; • - ■' ■ i „ JSPECUL JO; PEBBS ASSOCIATIQK.] -,:v. ' < ' : i ' March 1&. w-iPacific assurances^ bav.e been rewtiived I from the OssaT m regard to Afghan, af•fnirs.- The Standard, states tha* tli* '' Earl bf'DiifferinV Viceroy of Afghanjs'iatij has'been 1 assnred that his. .temnlmy •■; ; ;, „: '/' ;: ,'(,(BX BLECTEIC'TEI.EGIIAra-epPtRIdHT.) •

in---- Active preparations afle., Being made . : both m. England .and . India m* ™ c wof tha. Anglo- Buusian eimiatioa. Tm> plans of the military authorities, are to provide for the despatch to Af^h«ni^u> rf neces- : sary of Wo army corps nuiu&emng eaclt 36,000 inefi* and preparations a.re beingmade by the Admiralty for a fleet of transports to' convey troops to be sent from -The latest intelligence from Central f ; -Asia, is to the effect. that Major-Geueral , Ramsden is now close to Herat and will enter that city if the Russians advance from the present position near J eng ' D«K. '■'■ ■:-■ ••'••■■■'-.. • •.' ' „ !il •' Despatches^ hand from Persia state 11 ■'■ that the Shah's Government;, favors the : actibrf>of Russia regarding . Af ghamstau. /''" -'Tn^tlirf House ot 'Commons to-day Mr; "^"(^adßttitfo aiiftonhced it had been agreed' v %l*Wen England and Busaia that no

further advance of their troops should bo made on either side m Afghanistan, that the question of delimitation of the frontier was under deplomatic treatment but it would be premature to pronounce X opinion as to the possibility of the ulion being arrived at. 1 ■ - '- March 15. A report is current to-day that Lumsden has entered Herat and that the advance guard of Russians has reached Pul I Khfitun on tho Herirud river, about 120 miles north-west of Herat.