RUSSIA AND INDIA.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1991, 11 April 1885, Page 4

RUSSIA AND INDIA.

" Win iv , t'len," asks tho Russophobist. "is tin. a^iebsiou of Russia to stop? Must we allow hei to push her frontier foi waul to our own, and thereby expose oaiselvca to the dinner of those contlicts which iiuvit.ibly arise between nations that possess contmuous territory ?" To this I icply that Russia mast push her frontier until she reaches a countiy possessing a go\ eminent which is able and willing to keep order within its boundaiies, and pievent its subjects from committing depredations on their neighbours. As none of the petty State 3 of Central Asii seem capable of permanently fulfilling the condition, it is pretty certain that the Russian and British fionticrs will one day meet. Where they will meet depends upon ourselves. If we do not wish our rival to overstep a certain line, we must oui selves advance to that lino. As to the complications and disputes which inevitably ansc between contiguous nations I think they are fewer and less dangeious than those which arise between nations sepaiated from each other by a small State which is incipable of making its neutiality re spected, and is kept alive simply by the mutual jealousy of rival Powers. <Jutmany <loca not periodic illy go to war with" Holland or Russia, though sepua tod from them by a mere artificial fron tier, while France and Austria have never been pi evented fiom going to war by tho broad intervening torritoiy. The old tnoory that great powers may be made to keep the peace by interposing small independent States between them has long since exploded ; and even if true, would remain inapplicable to the case under consideration, for there is nothing worthy of being called an inde pendent State between Russian territory and Biitish India. Of course it is quite possible that, whether we have a contiguous frontier or not, Russia may some day, in the event of hostilities, make i diversion in the direction of India, and thereby cause us considctahle annoyance. This oupht ceitunly to be kept in view : but it does not justify the foolish panics which occa sionally occur in English public opinion regarding tho safety of our Indian possessions. In any attai k tint might be made, our position would be, in the military sense of the teim, so incomparably supiTioi to that of our antagonist that, if we could not repel t'u- invasion, wo lia >- c no lon<;( i my ryhr to hold India," etc — Wall u-o's " Russia,"