Russia's Advance on India.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 93, 14 March 1885, Page 3

Russia's Advance on India.

Those people who are fond of repeating the parrot cry associating a liberal regime with a "weak foreign policy" cannot find any pretext for upbraiding Mr Gladstone's Government with indecision at the present crisis. Clear, bold, and decisive is the position assumed Russia has thieatened to occupy a position of advantage in Afghanistan ; her trooos have actually crossed the frontier, and Earl Granville has promptly demanded the withdrawal of the force and approved the action of Sir Peter Lumsden in telling the Afghans to resist any further advance by force of arms. England's eword is thus virtually drawn from the scabbard, and with its point at the throat of the Muscovite she orders him to withdraw from the terri- ! tory of our friend and ally, the Ameer of Afghanistan The reply of Russia to the ultimatum has so far consisted in temporising proposals, while at the same time she is pieparing to mass troops on the Afghan frontier. The British army in India has also been set in motion, and at Home proposals are under discussion for increasing 1 the effective strength of the army. The I I hounds of war are ready to be let loose, and over all the British dominions there is but one sentiment in regard to the situation, and that is— that a war to protect India from Russian invasion appeals most power fully to the patriotism of an Empire whose military federation has, within the past few weeks, teen proved to be a living fact, and that such a war being inevitable sooner or later, the pugnacious Anglo-Saxon would as lief it came at once. Is England prepared for such a colossal war as this is likely to prove? 1 his is an important question, for willingness for combat does not always mean preparedness. In comparison with the forces opposed to it the British army proper seems ridiculously small. L'he total, exclusive of the army establishmenr|in India.is 177,000 men, which beems utterly insignificant when placed againstthe total of the Kussian army, which is 780,000 on the peace foting, and 2,300 000 on the war footing. The present I being an Indian quarrel, the British forces there muet be included. The Indian army is composed of 190,000 officers and men, and this number could be doubled by the addition of the well armed and drilled native and frontier police, while witn Ihe addition of forces belonging to the feudatory states of British India a total force of 730,000 men could easily be raised. This, taking no account of Afghanistan, where every male adult is a man of war. Supposing the Afghans to be united in fighting on the British side, 200.000 splendid fighting men could be calculated upon. England would thus be able to pla'-e in the field nearly a million of trained and experienced soldiers, for, of course, the militia and volunteers would perform all needed garrison duty at home and abroad. Troops would also be available from Canada and elsewhere. On the other hand it is plain that Russia cou d never plac^ in the field her whole army of 2,300,000 men, a* at least one half of these would be required for garrison and other duty throughout the widely-scattered dominions of the Czar The fact is that the formidable array of figure? given represents the total fighting power of Kuseia, whereas in the case of Britain there are va*-t masses of population to fall back upon. The " Army and Navy Gazette," in its crusade against the sh- rt service system, has of late made cprtain alarming statements regarding the falling off in the strength ©f the British army, but against that may be placed the statement of the London "Times": "We are obtaining soldiers at an un exampled rate. The number of recruits who joined the regular army during the past year amounted to about 38,000, or an increase of 3,000 over the numbers in the previous year." One little fact such as that is worth a whole bushel of doleful vaticinations, and in the prepent depressed state of trade particularly, there would be no difficulty in increasing the army by ten times thb number which Government propose to raise. Then there is the British navy, which, despite the recent hubbub, is the most powerful and efficient in the world, having 236 bhips in commission with 57,000 hands all told. Comparing this with the Russian fleet, as was recently done by a Russian periodical called "The Maritime Review," the conclusion is reached that the Russian fiVt is not half bo strong as the British, and therefore quite unable to attempt any offen* eive operations. The co-operation of Turkey, with her large army and by no means despicable fleet, may also be de-

pended upon, so that Russia will find herself overmatched at every poi.it if she takes tip the gauntlet thrown at her feet by England. To begin with, England and Turkey could create suoh a diversion in the Black Sea as would compel Russia to keep a large army in the Crimea, thai* weakening her striking power in Afghanistan. Looking the position squarely in the face, we see no reason to fear the result of a conflict between Britain and Rußsia at the present time. If the latter power feela unprepared, however, she will withdraw with what grace she can from Afghanistan, and postpone till a more fitting season her designs on India.