Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about Afghanistan [‎25r] (50/312)

the globe." We take it that Lord L ytton will be allowed to
do as he pleases in a matter regarded as of purely Indian con
cern, a mere frontier squabble, and not at all involving larger
considerations or necessitating general or deeper action on the
part of the Government at home.
And there is a particular reason why the Government may
be expected (though we sincerely hope it may not be so) to take
this course. A general election is near. They apprehend that their
financial administration may become a trouble to them; and
none the less because the expenditure of six millions on a
feeble and futile game of brag, utterly exploded at Berlin
and by these Indian events, begins to look ridiculously
wasteful. Now if the facts are faced, then this impending
little war must be recognized for what it is — a war
against Russia, an " Imperial" affair, and not a mere frontier
squabble. In that case it would only be reasonable and
right for the Indian Government to seek assistance from the
Imperial Treasury : its own being absolutely exhausted and quite
incapable of bearing the expense of the war without sinking
deeper into insolvency. This, too, it may be thought, should be
avoided. But as to that we say no more at the moment than
that it will be a disgrace and a wrong if India is made to pay
Tor a war which, ifi,t comes, will be an immediate, direct product of
gross mismanagement of the Eastern Question here in London.
ENGLAND AND AFGHANISTAN.
Several telegrams from India are published in the morning papers respecting
the relations between England and Afghanistan. The Daily News corre
spondent at Simla telegraphs :—
The British mission to Cabul has been dissolved. The Viceroy's emissary to Cabal
has been recalled. The garrison of Quettah is to be reinforced by 3,000 more troops.
A mixed European and native force of 4,000 men is ordered to assemble at Thull, a town
at the entrance to the Khooram Valley, immediately. A reserve force of 6,000 men will be I
formed at Sukkur early in November. Quettah commands western Afghanistan, all of which {
is friendly to the British. The Khooram Valley people are peaceful husbandmen and well
disposed to England. The route leads through an open country to Cabul, and a force
might advance to within seventy miles thereof. The Khyber Pass is avoided, as is the
difficult country leading through the centre of Afghan fanaticism. No attack on Cabul
is intended. The probable effect of the demonstration will be to show the Ameer that he ,
' is helpless, while friendly treatment will conciliate the various frontier tribes, who are
weary of his oppression, and are longing for the break-up of his rule.
A Bombay telegram in the Standard, dated Tuesday evening, says :—
The Government are evidently determined to bring matters to a crisis before the winter
arrives. There will be no attempt made to induce the Ameer to receive our envoy;
indeed, the mission is already broken up. Sir Neville Chamberlain is on his way to Madras,
and the other members of the mission have gone to Simla. The native envoy who went on
to Cabul has been recalled. Steps have been taken to strengthen the force at Quettah,
and it is considered certain that a forward move will be made from that point upon
Candahar. A force of eight thousand men, including the 59th, 17th, and 60th Rifles,
the 23rd Pioneers, and a portion of the 10th Hussars, will assemble at Mooltan and
advance through the Bolan Pass to Quettah. An advance from that town to Can
dahar will sever Cabul from Herat, and cut the Ameer off" from the larger half of 1
his territory. A force under General Roberts, six thousand strong, starts from
Rawul Pindee to Kohat, some thirty miles south of Peshawur. This column will,
it is believed, enter Afghanistan by the Khooram Valley, which lies south of the Khyber
Pass, and is separated from the valley of the Cabul by the Safed Koli range. The road
from the head of this valley goes through the Hobandi Pass into the valley of the Logur, j
and a force arriving there would sever Cabul from Ghazni. A third column will proceed j
up the Khyber Pass. The troops will march from Mooltan and Rawul Pindee in three
days' time. There is seldom much snow before December, so there is plenty of time to I
occupy Cabul and Candahar before the winter.
The same paper publishes a despatch from Calcutta which states that the
text of the Viceroy's two letters to the Ameer of Afghanistan has been published.
It is semi-officially announced that no answer has been received either to these
letters or to a letter which was previously sent.
A Simla telegram in the Daily Telegraph says :—" The commissioner at
Peshawur is engaged in negotiations which have for their object to detach the
Khyberees from the Ameer ; and the authorities are hopeful that the end will
be attained, as the Khyberees, by their friendly bearing to the mission, have
incurred the severe displeasure of Shere Ali." |
SUMMARY OF THIS MORNING'S NEWS.
It is announced to-day in several telegrams from India that the British
mission to Cabul has been dissolved, that Sir Neville Chamberlain has returned
to Simla, and that the Viceroy's emissary to Cabul has been recalled. The
garrison of Quettah is to be reinforced by 3,000 troops, and a mixed Euro
pean and native force of 4,000 men is to assemble immediately at Thull, at the
entrance to the Khooram valley. A reserve force of 6,000 troops will be formed
at Sukkur early in November. Hopes are said to be entertained that negotia
tions in which the Commissioner at Peshawur is engaged, with the object of
detaching the Khyberees from the Ameer, will be successful. A telegram in the
Standard speaks of the probability of an advance on Cabul, but the Daily
News correspondent at Simla says that the demonstration is not an attack on 1
Cabul, but to show the Ameer his helplessness. The possibility of hostilities 1
between England and the Ameer is attracting much attention on the Conti- j
nent of Europe, especially at Vienna. A St. Petersburg telegram published
yesterday stated that in the " best informed quarters " the supposition that an
understanding exists between Russia and Afghanistan is declared to be " purely |
| imaginary." ■^ rTr -• • n'