THE AFGHAN DIFFICULTY.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 2026, 2 July 1885, Page 3

THE AFGHAN DIFFICULTY.

MR UlOl7l)>'s \ IFW Ol THE QUI.STIOX,

Jamkh Anthony Fkouoe, the eminent English historian, told a reporter at San Francisco that he thought that the Afghanistan frontier difficulty should bo amicably settled by means of diplomatic nibitration, in spite of the fact that Russia lias made more than one aggres sive movement into the disputed country, nnd that the English taxpayer has shown himself willing to contribute his quota towards the sinews of a great war. " Oonsidcting that I have been absent from England for tha past five months," "aid Mr Froude, I am not qualified to speak with much authority on this subject. My frank opinion however, I am willing to ghe you. It is this :I do not believe that war is inevitable Ido not believe that the Rnssian and English want war. I do not belic\e that a squabble about a stnp of tenitory is a sufficient Mai rant for war. Russia did not declare war when England advanced into intermediate temtoiy between the possessions of the two countries, and there is no reason why England should declare war when Russia sets about settling on a boundary with the Afghans." "How do you think the difficulty should be settled '" Mr Fioudc paused a moment in thought, and then a flash of humour irradiated his grey ryes and a smile stole over Ins handsome countenance as he replied •— " Thoic ib one way in which this difficulty could be settled to the satisfaction or almost all partiis. Let the English and Russian I nations lisc as one iran and say to their repi cacntatues in go\ eminent:—"Gentlemen, if jou think that war is necessary' by all means go ahead We have no desiro to pi event you. On the contrary, we arc willing to give you nil the help in our power. As ,i preliminary, howe\er, let us know cleaily what you mean by war. If you moan an niiangfinmt by which thousands of Englishmen air to be sent headlong against thousands of Russians, we object. Our lues aieas valuable to us as yours aie to \ou, and we have no idea of losing them op tho battle fiold. If, however, you and the honorable gentlemen in the other Government see fiit to go to war, do so by all means. We will stand by and see fair play. The Czar can choose a dozen or so of his best generals and councillors, and Mr Gladstone can pick out an equal number of bellicose mcmbeis of Parliament and army men, and the two parties can meet together on some fixed day, and, either by fisticuffs or some more scientific method of warfare, settle this Afghan question to their mutual satisfaction. The survivors will naturally bo the victors. This, 0 honorable gentleman ! is what the Russian and English nations think on the matter." "That would be the simplest way of getting out of tho tiouble," continued Mr Froude, "and jou must admit that it lias many advantages over the oidinaiy mode of warfare."

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