Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about Afghanistan [‎35r] (70/312)

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GOOD OUT OF EVIL.
The complication with Afghanistan will have one
good effect if it directs public attention to the almost
prohibitory charges levied on press messages to and
from India. There is no abatement in favour of such
telegrams, in spite of th iv public nature, compared
with messages o£ a purely private character. Bath
descriptions are charged 4s, G '. per word west of
Chktagong, and there is an inland rate in India to
be added to this amoirut. Some time back
the Eastern Telegraph Company meditated a
large reduction in favour of press mes
sages, but as nothing more has been heard
of the projected abatement, we - imagine
the recent amalgamation with the Government
moiety of the Indo-European line has brought the
scheme to naught. The public, no less than the
press, are interested in this matter, for it is palpable
that n0W.=! from India must be of the briefest sort so
long as the telegraph tariff remains at its present
prohibitory level. Much wars3 is the case of the
Anglo-Indian public, a j theii press is not in a posi-
tion to afford a. regular supply of even the shortest
messages. Now and again some journal accepts
the enormous cost of a long special tele
gram, but as a rule our fellow countrymen
have to depend on the tender mercies of
telegraphic agencies for early news from home. To
all intents and purposes, therefore, the supply is a
monopoly, and s » it his been at this end of the 1
wires conuecting England with the East, except in
the case of the Times, which has generally published
a special telegram from India once a week. Should
the present trouble witu th ' cantankerous Court of
Cabul develop into a war, the Government will have
to look into the matter for some remedy, as
the public may hold it partly to blame for having
given up its control over the management of the
Indo-European line without stipulating for a large
abatement in favour of press messages. Good may
thus come even out of the evil done by General Abra-
moff at Cabu!. and it the English and Anglo-Indian
publics are enabled to learn more of each other's 1
doings by telegraph through bis instrumentality,
1 they may be disposed t> pardon the intriguer on the
1 score of his unconscious philanthroi^y.
THE RUSSIAN MISSION TO BOKHARA.
The Turlcestan Gazette publishes the following in re.
spect to the Kussian mission to Bokhara:—
"Monsieur A. A. Weinberg, officer for special political
missions, and now on a vi it to the Ameer of Bokhara, tot
discuss matters relating to the movements of the active
forces about the headquarters of the Amu Darya, has
written from the city of Bokhara. From his letter wa;
extracr. the following news:—Having hurt, his foot on I
the way, lie had to give up riding at Samarkand, iroaij
whence he travelled in a country cart asfaras ChirakchiJ
to which place the Ameer had politely sent one oil
his own carriages. In the afternoon of tha
21st May (2nd June) M. Weinbeig reached
Karshi, and on the day following, accompanied
by Staff Captain Schlichten he had an inter vie tr
with the Ameor, to whom ho delivered a letter from the 1
Governor-General of .Turkestan, at the same time pro--;
nouncing some friendly sentiments. He informed the j
Ameer that his Excellency (Von Kauffmann) hoped for Sk
since rely f rie n d-lik •; attitude on the part of Bokhara in cass
the Russian fore j s now under marching orders should bo
directed to the Amu Darya; lie reminded the Ameer of
his friendship as tested during the K hi van expedition of
1873, and wound up by giving expression to Von Kauli-
inann's hopes that the Ameer wr.uld assist the Kussiaa
forces by way of voluntarily permitting his subjects
to sell them bread, flour, and other provisions. Ameer!
Syad Muzafar who had appeared somewhat excited/
at the commencement of the interview* offered nor
remark while Weinberg was speaking.JJ Having listened
to the end, he replied to the effect that he was willingly
ready to meet the wishes of the Governor-General, and
that he would do all in his power to assist the "Russian"
troo* s to the end of improving upon the good friendly J
relations now maintained between Russia and Bokhara. *
In reply to the Ameer's question as to * how Russia in-"
tend d to arrange her affairs with Cabul ?' Mons. Wein-.
berp- deemed it necessary to reply openly (sincerely),'
that the Governor-General of Turkestan entertained na
enmity whatever against Afghanistan, and that he (Von
Kauft'mann) contemplated sending an embassy to Sher«
Ali Khan on the arrival of which at Cabal the rela-t
tionsof Russia with that country would probably b»
cleared up in one way or other, that is, assume a.
friendly or hostile aspect. All would depend upoa
Ameer All's uprightness, frankness and good sense.
The Russians plot nothing whatever (enter'ain no de-*
vices of any kind) against him. At the expiration of half „
an hour the interview came to an end, and when Mons.
Weinberg rose to take leave, the Ameer asked him to
enme again on the following day, m order to discuss
some further questions. With reference to Mons.
N. A. Mayet's journey, the Ameer raised no objections,
and declared, himself willing to aid ^im Merchant
Ivanof has obtained the Ameer's permission to buy
provisions in Bokhara, which are intended for the use of
the Ameer Darya Corps." N. A. Mayef is the editor o£
the Turlcestan Gazetcc, and holds the rank of a major in
the Russian army. The.two last, numbers of tboj
Gazette give no cl«e as to the direction and object of
Mayef's journey, or the way in which it concerns th«
0 f Bokhara.
" fie^-fix.
r- ™ S * ^ r-S'
LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27.
Onr Correspondent at Bombay believes that no
immediate advance will be made on Cabul by
General Chamberlain -, who must first negotiate
with the independent hill tribes to secure their
neutrality. Ko such hindrance, however, applies to
the advance from Quetta upon Candahar, which may
be expected as soon as sufficient troops have been ;
collected. A Renter s telegram from Simla reports !
that a serious outbreak has occurred at Seistan, on '
the frontiers of Persia and AfM-hania tnn
The necessity for the adoption of Vigorous
measures in dealing with the Government of S here
A li is becoming more apparent every day. The
effect upon public opinion in this country is all that
could be desired. The action of the Government
is approved with an exhibition of unanimity that
has not been seen since the days of the Crimean
War, and the more factious politicians of the
Opposition can do no more than pity their
countrymen for having to perform an obvious
duty. Two or three days ago we were entreated 1
to remember the fearful misfortunes we had
brought upon ourselves by our former interference
in Afghanistan, but now the instruction is that
if retribution is slackened for a single hour
we are irretrievably disgraced. " Wo simply
cannot afi'ord to delay we must strike at once,
and strike heavily, and ifpon a certain hue which
is pointed out for the information of the Govern
ment of India, and the difficulties of which are
carefully explained. We may say at once that
the advice thus tendered will not be followed,
for the simple reason that a better plan is
already in course of adoption, by which the
terrible risks of disaster will not be incurred. The
opponents of the Government, seeing the strength
and unanimity of the national feeling, do not
venture to attack its policy openly ; they attempt
to flurry it and to stipulate for it the attainment of
certain results within a certain period, with the
generous intimation that if everything is not accom-
plished precisely within the period set down, a
patriotic criticism will be compelled to denounce the
failure. This method of treating a great national
question from a small party point of view could
but provoke a smile in ordinary times ; but when
the Empire is on the brink, perhaps, of the most
terrible struggle in which we have been engaged
since Waterloo, it is not easy to tolerate mere
narrow partisanship. Still it must be admitted that
the criticism of the Opposition, whilst ingeniously
preparing every possible method of future embar
rassment, is satisfactory so far that it does not dare
to contest the necessity of exacting reparation by
force of arms from the Ameer of C abul . In the
meantime the effect of English opinion upon
foreign nations, and especially upon Russia, is
fortunately not diminished. The resolution of this
country to bring to an end the incessant menace
of Afghan hostility is clear and unqualified, and
is all the more impressive because of our sobriety
and moderation of language. This Russia understands
perfectly well, and it may be perceived already that
she is solicitous to prove that she is not directly
concerned in Afghanistan. Russian diplomacy may
probably find that in playing the hazardous game
of Central Asian politics it has missed a point, and
given over the chances of ultimate victory to the
hated English.
The language of the Russian newspapers,
mingling insolence with apology, is apparently
intended to cover a precipitate retreat behind a
cloud of controversial dust. For us there is no need
to attempt to penetrate this cloud. We know qui e
enough of the truth to be justified in taking any
course we please—in holding Russia responsible for
the audacity of S here A li or in ignoring her
complicity ;—and whether we have to encounter
her directly or not in Afghanistan it is not this
country which need recoil from the struggle. Our
armies now being massed upon the North-western
frontier will easily overrun Afghanistan, and deal
with the A mekr as the Imperial Government may
determine. Russian assistance covertly conveyed will
help him as little as it helped the Servians, and
openly given it would lead to a war in Asia between
England and Russia from which the Russians have
far more to fear than we have. The insolence of
the Russian newspapers cannot disguise this fact.
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