AN AFGHAN PRINCE'S OPINION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 124, 30 April 1885, Page 2

AN AFGHAN PRINCE'S OPINION.

In Bnmaby's well-known work, " A Bide to Khiva," published m 1875, the following paper by Sirdar Iskander Ahmed Khan, Baruzkes of Afghanistan, is given m an appendix, and will be read with interest at the present juncture : — " Lord Granville's policy m fortifying Afghanistan on one side only, and leaving exposed the others to the inroads of enemies, excites my utmost surprise. It is like unto a man building a house with three walls, and leaving the gable end to adventurers. " Such is just now the case with Afghanistan. Lord Granvillo insured, as he thought, the safety of Afghanistan m ascertaining its boundary on the Oxus, and leaving exposed that "towards the north-west, thus opening a passage to Kussia by way of Merve, to which she (Bussia) is already approaching, as the recent movements of General Lomakin at once indicate. " I really think the English Government has no time to lose by looking indifferently at the question. It may be already be predicted that Bussia will certainly take Merve. When that is accomplished, it is equally certain England will lose her prestige, not only m Afghanistan but likewise m Persia, and then she (England) must have recourse to an expedient after the fashion of a Chinese wall on the Indus to maintain her supremacy on behalf of Aghanistan for these twenty years past will be merged and finally lost, and that not through the treachery of the Afghans, or their unfaithfulness towards England, but through the misguided policy of England herself m allowing the most powerful invader to take possession of the threshold of the house, and then telling the .inmates to take care of themselves. " Merve, at this time, is only a refuge for marauders ; but let Russia possess it and it will then become a place of notoriety, and one of the richest m the world, both for its fertility and welllmown capacity for the maintenance ot a corps of soldiers at little cost ; example five or six melons only will constitute a camel-load. Hence the animals which rove at large become fat and sleek, without care of the owner, and vegetation, everywhere is equally luxuriant. In short, if Merve pass into the hands of Russia it will regain its former splendour. But the question will not rest here, that Bussia will take Merve merely, and hold it quietly, but she will take the Morgab Biver also, and march up to it, and thus possessall the country. For example, when she leaves Merve, the first country worthy of note with which she will come into contact on the same river is Ulatan, with its ruined fort, and whioh was the country of the Salore Turkomans for some years after their i defeat by the Persians, and who.through the invasion of the Teku Turkomans, were compelled to desert, and for these fifteen years they have come under the jurisdiction of Herat m the fort of Marooghag, and cultivate its whole territory. The next country Bussia will seize is Penjdeh, on the same river where are Sarok Turkomans dwelling which place is nearly equal m fertility to Merve. That country was frequently | dependent upon Herat ; for example, the Shah Kamran, the last sovereign of Sadozai, had always a commission here, and my father at the request of the Sarok Turkomans,, sent twice a Commissioner amongst them to collect the taxes. " One stage further on, and Bussia will come to the fort of Marooghah, and from thence within one stage to the fort of Morgab, which is situated on the high road betwixt Herat and Maimana, and, further on still, to Afghan Turkistan. When Bussia shall have reached here, she will divide or cut off Herat from Afghan Turkistan, and thus extend her power from one side to Maimana, and the other side to Herat Badgheese as far as the Coshk, which is seoarated from Herat Bason by the high mountains of Baba. The countries I have named are nearly equally fertile, and also favorable to any number of armies marching through. " Bussia having established herself m these countries, she will lose no time m exercising her powerful influence upon the whole of Afghanistan, by sending a missin under the name of commercial or scientific purposes — a pretext which is not uncommon to European diplomacy, and which invariably achieves the desired policy. In that case Afghanistan will not be able to refuse the Bussian mission, as she has done up to the present time.the enemy being at the threshold. , " I cannot think that Bussia will approach Merve without the secret consent of Persia, who must not consent to Bussia's aggression thither unless some specious proposition be made, which cannot be less than allowing her to take Herat by moans of her aid. " Persia must have two points of interest, viz.: — First, the legitimacy of Merve, which belongs to her of ancient right; and~ secondly, the cost of. two armies which perished there. Therefore Persia must oppose any Power approaching Merve, or if she be unable to do so herself, she must call tor the help of England. Should she do neither (as she has done to the present, m not mastering her own territory and leaving it to the mercy of intruders), then the wholequestion has approached a solution. "In my opinion England has not long to reflect upon the matter indifferently; she must, as soon as possible, propose to Persia the conquest of Merve, and thus prevent Bussia from taking it. Should Bussia, notwithstanding, make . aggression upon Merve, it will be clear that she has Persia m view (not a country left at the mercy of any aggressive Powor), by conquering which no Power could legitimately accuse her. In the event ot Persia refusing to conquer Merve at once, it remains that England take care of that country, either diplomatically, by ascertaining the boundary beyond Merve, or by taking possession of the country by means of the Aighan forces, and thus reckoning Persia the closest ally to Bussia."