OUR POSITION IN AFGHANISTAN.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3167, 14 April 1879, Page 3

OUR POSITION IN AFGHANISTAN.

The complete success which has attended our inTasiou of Afghanistan is a

fact of wKich the significance cannot be too carefully estimated. Tfc is nenofipary to look back and lo recall i!:o sinister auguries of three or four months ngr>, in order to nppreciate its fully import. It was then eagerly represented by the assailants of the Government that we were commencing operations which would involve us in a struggle like (hat of the former Afghan war, and the difficulties before us, eveu at the outset, were represented as extremely grave. The public at large could not fail to be considerably impressed by such warnings, uttered, as they were, by former Indian officials of the highest reputation, and echoed by responsible members of the Opposition. A large part of the public seemed strangely in the dark with respect to the prospect before us and the elementary facts of the situation. The Indian Government deserves the credit of having discerned. in a great measure the real state of affairs.beyond our frontier; but, so far its hostile critics were concerned, there prevailed all that ignorance of events and affairs, on the other side of the mountain passes which it is one of our present objects to obviate for the future. While we listened to the alarming predictions that vrere rife/we could only express a confident hope that the Government, bad made a shrewd guess sit the true State of the base. A few weeks have passed, and the veil which obscured the issue of the'ehterprise has been removed. The Ameer's power of resistance has completely disappeared, and we are firmly established in becupation of the mountain brrrier which commands the roads into his country. We may stjlll have to. encounter for a While some difficulties with the neighbouring hill {tribes; but there are; signs that; in the main, these, ara already surmounted, and it cannot be supposed that they will be sufficient to shake our hold on the territory we hare occupied. There is, consequently, an pnd to all doubts respecting our ability ]to>, assert our military superiority in Afghanistan. At the opening of spring, the communications with our advanced boats will have been secured, supplies will have been stored at convenient

tooints, the natives in the neighbotirhood will, in all probability, have discovered the advantage of finding a regular market for their produce in pur camps, and will understand that We • have hb * unfriendly disposition towards them,. r JEYom.a military point of rat 'ill 'events,our position will be, Unasswlable, and will insure our being ableito make short work of any further yesißtance?^>rhe only < : collateral danger ♦pith! "whicfi we were threatened—thafc of ! Russiani intrigues--has been withdrawn, l>y the Russians themselves, and we are" left albfie with ah Afghanistan 1 which is practically at our mercy.—Times,