RUSSIA AND ENGLAND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 6, 5 June 1885, Page 2

RUSSIA AND ENGLAND.

• CtMnmeriting on the Anglo-Russia difficjilty, the World says:— "lf Russia had made up her- mind to go to war with .England, at ali-jhazards, she would have been on the high road to Herat before tliis jbimei ; and'might now be on the point of carrying it by a rush. Why, then, has she not persevered m that which wus indisputably her original intention— namely, to 'rush' Herat ? and why has her progress towards it been arrested ? The answer is that she has receved an intimation |£ojn.Germany, of Jhe J jnost,prer cisc 'and positive character, that," m the event of her precipitating war m Central Asia, she would arouse the active.host ility of Germanyatfd" AustrtriiTEuiSpe. We speak of what wekno>v, and it is the fact that^ a- s fortnight ? sW/iprince Bismarck told the Czar that if Russia provoked a rupture with England, he (the GJBrma|i^hahcellors would |lfold)^imself free to act as he might consider' expedient. The pre-pcctiji ition of Russia m Asia would at once' provoke the Hungarians m the Austrian Empire to attack Slavs. It 'would for the^"* Austrian r authorities, -jt|ithoui risking the disintegration of the dual empire, to ; repress the Hungarians. - x Robmania and -Bulgaria would 'laehn ah v un» , mediate state of? effervescence and up- ' roar, and an outbreak of Panslavonic, enthusiasm! m Russia , wbuld^enyisr a'coljlision with : Russia unavoidable. The ; Eunppoan branch ; of the s Eastern; question ; would.,; m Ifact; "be redp^nedl J. idiu&pa wduld press forward towards Salonica as jsurely as a duck takeg to the water, and .[Germany would feel-it ; incumbent on her !to seize a substtintial share of the Baltic ' provinces of Russia. This is what Bisimarck meant when he" plainly told the Czar a couple of weeks ago that he would mot be anßwerable:for the Consequence* if ■the Russian commanders too^the opporitunity of pouncing upon- AJCghanistan. This, and this only, ; is the explanation of Russia's ddsistence from theplan she had first conceived of' rushing ' Hbait.