Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about Afghanistan [‎91v] (186/312)

DAILY TELEGrJKAPU, SATUKDAY, OCTOBEK 5
L-
There is a myth in the East to the effect
ihat when chaos was being reduced to order the
spirits of the Land and of the Water met tete-a-
iete to settle everything. They divided the
jarth between them to their own satisfaction,
' subject to future rectification of frontier," and
yere retiring from the conference in a state of {
mutual amiability. But a terrible thunderclap I
>ver head, and a violent earthquake under their j
feet, startled them into the recollection that
hey had not heard what Air had to say to
be general arrangements. And Air has" never
ince allowed either Land or Water to forget
fee omission. This myth fairly illustrates
ihe present situation with regard to Asia. We
we accustomed to speak of that continent
4a if it were a field in dispute between!
ourselves and Russia only, and recognise in 1
ihe solution of the Asiatic question only
two interested Powers—the Empress of India,
and the Czar. Nevertheless there were more
gods in the Pantheon than two, and in settling i
' Ihe affairs of Asia we must not ignore the fexist-1
»nce of the Empire of China, since it possesses '
&11 the power to make the oversight a source of
trouble in the future. China covers nearly one-
fourth of Asia, and one-half of the inhabitants
©f the whole continent are subjects of the Ruler
of Pekin This is a mighty fact indeed, and
the Lord of the Vermilion Pencil, the Emperor
of the Flowery Land and Son of Heaven, can
be no more overlooked, as the shadow of his sway
falls across the vast continent, than the Equator
on the earth or the Milky Way above it Yet so
great is European vanity that we have affected
hitherto not to notice China on the map of Asia, i
*nd to-day the affectation may be %irly called
by a harsher name. It would, indeed, be folly of ;
the gravest order, if not something worse, to;
shut our eyes to the enormous part this Empire j
of Pekin may be destined to play in the East. |
Russia has long been aware that a more for-1
midable obstacle than nomad tribes and Turko
man Khans lies in the path of her advance.
The evidences of a long-established Power con
front her, as imperturbable and menacing as the •
Tian Shan mountains that mark its limits, and i
before her fellow barbarian Asiatic Russia holds |
back her foot for the present. Populous districts, 1
rich in resources and trade, strong in settled :
government and peace, adjoin her own wastes,
which, but for the Russian chains of forts and
outposts that denote the aggressor's path, might
etill be the grazing grounds of locust-eating |
hordes, and not a portion of the Empire ofj
Holy Russia.
To so strong an adversary the Cossacks dare j
not openly throw down the glove, but where!
courage was wanting fraud has often availed. No
opportunity of aggravating mischief on the bor- j
dera of the Chinese Empire has been lost, and [
from Manchuria on the eastern sea coast to
Kashgar on the western frontier Russia by
intriguing has nourished troubles to her own
advantage. It is not so long ago that distant
Japan was involved in altercation with Corea
because of Muscovite interference, and China
herself has often had to rue her confidence in
the good faith of a Czar. Feeling their way
through the pastoral nomads of Siberia to the
frontier of Mongolia, the Russians struck the
I river Amur, and, creeping down it to the sea,
established a straggling authority over a por
tion of independent Manchuria. Treaty after
treaty, in which the subjects of the Czar
accepted degrading conditions for the privilege
of advancing, covered the stealthy project for
a time. When, however, the forts of the Amur
province were erected and garrisoned, conceal
ment was neither necessary nor possible, and
Russia openly added to the maps of her Siberian
empire the seaboard facing the islands of Japan,
and thus became the neighbour of the enemy of
China. Where and how far the intrigues now
ramify Europe has no means of knowing, but in
the Anglo-Chinese press references are often
made to the aggressive interference of Russia on
the northern frontier of the empire, and to Mus
covite petitions addressed to Pekin for u the esta-
1 blishment of commercial agencies " within its bor
ders. From Manchuria, the eastern limit of her
Asiatic acquisitions, a line may be drawn west
ward fairly straight for three thousand miles, and
this will demarcate throughout the conterminous
frontiers of China and Russia, while a south
ward curve at the end will bring it to Kuldja,
the western limit of her persevering march. The
story of that theft is worthy of prominence.
The Russians had overrun Eastern Turkestan up
to the Chinese province of Hi, of which the capi
tal is Kuldja. and had ostentatiously laid down
an impossible line across a wilderness of savage
Tungans, Mantchus, Tarantchis, and others as
her " boundary." A chalk mark on the sea to
keep the fishes separate would have been as
effectual ; and of course the Tungans and the
rest continued to steal each others' cattle and cut
each others' throats without any reference as to
the whereabouts of the invisible barrier. But
Russia gravely informed the Court of Pekin
that it was impossible for her to civilise her
savages unless China took steps to civilise her
share of them also, and that until she was in a
position to do so the Czar would temporarily
take over the district of Ili. The huge pro
vince was forthwith marked down on General
Kaufpman's map as part of "All the Rus-
sias." but in course of time slow-moving China
came up, and, thanking the Muscovites for
their solicitude to keep the peace of Ili, in
formed them that she would now look after
it herself. Upon this General Kauffman
presented to the Pekin delegates his bill of ex
penses incurred, a sum so monstrous that no
thing but the bankruptcy of Russia could ex
cuse it, and at the same time the author of the
Khiva butcheries reproached the Chinese for
their inhumanity to certain rebels. Having no
authority to mortgage the revenues of an enor
mous province, the delegates retired to Pekin for
instructions, and the present embassy to St.
Petersburg is the result. Of this embassy the
chief is Chung How, whose anti-European pro
clivities may be judged from the fact that both
the Anglo-Chinese and the Anglo-Indian press
charged him with connivance in, or indifference
towards, the Tientsin massacre of French priests
and Sisters of Mercy in 1870. Far more signi
ficant. however, is the fact that this exalted
mandarin was at one time .the opponent of
Russia in Manchuria, where he effectively
paraded his Krupp guns, and drilled his army
into almost European discipline. Associated with
him in the Embassy is Si-Lun, also a mandarin
of high dignity, to whom for many years has been
entrusted the duty of watching the Russians on the
northern frontier, and who holds at present the
post of military governor of the very next province
to the ravished Ili. The selection of these parti-
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DAILY TELBGrKAFU, SATUKDAT, OCTOBJj iK 5,
-
Theek is a myth in the East to the effect
ahat when chaos was being reduced to order the
ipirits of the Land and of the Water met tete-a-
]ete to settle everything. They divided the
jarth between them to their own satisfaction,
* subject to future rectification of frontier," and
yere retiring from the conference in a state of
Butual amiability. But a terrible thunderclap
>ver head, and a violent earthquake under their
feet, startled them into the recollection that
hey had not heard what Air had to say to
he general arrangements. And Air has" never
ince allowed either Land or Water to forget
jbe omission. This myth fairly illustrates
Sbe present situation with regard to Asia. We
are accustomed to speak of that continent
as if it were a field in dispute between
ourselves and Russia only, and recognise in
4he solution of the Asiatic question only
two interested Powers—the Empress of I ndia
and the Czar. Nevertheless there were more
gods in the Pantheon than two, and in settling
ihe affairs of Asia we must not ignore the Exist
ence of the Empire of China, since it possesses
all the power to make the oversight a source of
trouble in the future. China covers nearly one-
fourth of Asia, and one-half of the inhabitants
of the whole continent are subjects of the Ruler
of Pekin This is a mighty fact indeed, and
the Lord of the Vermilion Pencil, the Emperor
of the Flowery Land and Son of Heaven, can
be no more overlooked, as the shadow of his sway
falls across the vast continent, than the Equator
on the earth or the Milky Way above it Yet so
great is European vanity that we have affected
hitherto not to notice China on the map of Asia,
«,nd to-day the affectation may be %irly called
by a harsher name. It would, indeed, be folly of
the gravest order, if not something worse, to
shut our eyes to the enormous part this Empire
of Pekin may be destined to play in the East.
Russia has long been aware that a more for
midable obstacle than nomad tribes and Turko
man Khans lies in the path of her advance.
The evidences of a long-established Power con
front her, as imperturbable and menacing as the ,
Tian Shan mountains that mark its limits, and j
before her fellow barbarian Asiatic Russia holds |
back her foot for the present. Populous districts,
rich in resources and trade, strong in settled 1
government and peace, adjoin her own wastes,
which, but for the Russian chains of forts and
outposts that denote the aggressor's path, might
etill be the grazing grounds of locust-eating |
hordes, and not a portion of the Empire of j
Holy Russia.
To so strong an adversary the Cossacks dare j
Qot openly throw down the glove, but where
tourage was wanting fraud has often availed. No
opportunity of aggravating miechief on the bor
ders of the Chinese Empire has been lost, and
from Manchuria on the eastern sea coast to
Kashgar on the western frontier Russia by
intriguing has nourished troubles to her own j
advantage. It is not so long ago that distant |
Japan was involved in altercation with Corea,
because of Muscovite interference, and China :
borself has often had to rue her confidence in
the good faith of a Czar. Feeling their way
through the pastoral nomads of Siberia to th©
frontier of Mongolia, the Russians struck the
river Amur, and, creeping down it to the sea,
established a straggling authority over a por
tion of independent Manchuria. Treaty after
treaty, in which the subjects of the Czar
accepted degrading conditions for the privilege
of advancing, covered the stealthy project for
a time. When, however, the forts of the Amur
province were erected and garrisoned, conceal
ment was neither necessary nor possible, and
Russia openly added to the maps of her Siberian
empire the seaboard facing the islands of Japan,
and thus became the neighbour of the enemy of
China. Where and how far the intrigues now
ramify Europe has no means of knowing, but in
the Anglo-Chinese press references are often
made to the aggressive interference of Russia on
the northern frontier of the empire, and to Mus
covite petitions addressed to Pekin for " the esta
blishment of commercial agencies " within its bor
ders. From Manchuria, the eastern limit of her
Asiatic acquisitions, a line may be drawn west
ward fairly straight for three thousand miles, and
this will demarcate throughout the conterminous
frontiers of China and Russia, while a south
ward curve at the end will bring it to Kuldja,
the western limit of her persevering march. The
story of that theft is worthy of prominence.
The Russians had overrun Eastern Turkestan up
to the Chinese province of Hi, of which the capi
tal is Kuldja. and had ostentatiously laid down
an impossible line across a wilderness of savage
Tungans, Mantchus, Tarantchis, and others as
her " boundary." A chalk mark on the sea to
keep the fishes separate would have been as
effectual ; and of course the Tungans and the
rest continued to steal each others' cattle and cut
each others' throats without any reference as to
the whereabouts of the invisible barrier. But
Russia gravely informed the Court of Pekin
that it was impossible for her to civilise her
savages unless China took steps to civilise her
share of them also, and that until she was in a
position to do so the Czar would temporarily
take over the district of Hi. The huge pro
vince was forthwith marked down on General
Kauppman's map as part of "All the Rus-
sias." but in course of time slow-moving China
came up, and, thanking the Muscovites for
their solicitude to keep the peace of Hi, in
formed them that she would now look after
it herself. Upon this General K auffman
presented to the Pekin delegates his bill of ex
penses incurred, a sum so monstrous that no
thing but the bankruptcy of Russia could ex
cuse it, and at the same time the author of the
Khiva' butcheries reproached the Chinese for
their inhumanity to certain rebels. Having no
authority to mortgage the revenues of an enor
mous province, the delegates retired to Pekin for
instructions, and the present embassy to St.
Petersburg is the result. Of this embassy the
chief is C hung H ow , whose anti-European pro
clivities may be judged from the fact that both
the Anglo-Chinese and the Anglo-Indian press
charged him with connivance in, or indifference
towards, the Tientsin massacre of French priests
and Sisters of Mercy in 1870. Far more signi
ficant, however, is the fact that this exalted
mandarin was at one time .the opponent of
Russia in Manchuria, where he effectively
paraded his Krupp guns, and drilled his army
into almost European discipline. Associated with
him in the Embassy is S i -L un , also a mandarin
of high dignity, to whom for many years has been
entrusted the duty of watching the Russians on the
northern frontier, and who holds at present the
post of military governor of the very next province
to the ravished Hi. The selection of these parti
cular officials could hardly have been the work
of chance, and it is highly probable, therefore,
that when C hung H ow and S i -L un return to
their posts at the two points most urgently
menaced by Russia they will be encouraged in a
bolder attitude towards the aggressors by know
ing exactly the weakness in Europe of the Power
that endeavours to terrorise them in Asia. The
Chinese Army is already mustered for a trial
of strength, and on the results of C hung H ow's
diplomacy hangs the question of Russia's supre- 1
macy in the provinces she has usurped.
For ten years past the Muscovite press has been
taking notice of the " Tungan Question," but
otherwise the affairs of Western China have re
ceived little attention in Europe. Yet the un
familiar subject is one of sufficient importance
to England to call for recognition by us, for it
represents the first restlessness of the vast
power of China on contact with invading Russia.
That Power has always been notoriously slow
of motion, but, like the K ambukharna of the
Hindu epic, it always awakes from six days'
slumber to a seventh day of enormous strength
and corresponding energy. When the Taeping
rebellion broke out, Pekin lay quietly watching
the monster grow, but at last, like some boa or
python, it slowly unwound its bulky coils,
and moving to the scene deliberately crushed
every bone of the gigantic outbreak, in spite of
all its frantic struggles. Again, when the
Mohammedans of Yunan and the surrounding
area revolted, the same leisurely advance, the
same utter extermination, marked the exercise
of China's strength. It must be remembered
that between Pekin and the western fron
tier of the empire some three thousand miles
intervene, and that a huge army, marching with
all the cumbersome appliances of barbarous
warfare, has to stop on the way to let harvests
ripen and be reaped before it can proceed, and
that intricate mountain labyrinths and vast,
barren deserts obstruct the progress of soldiers.
Yet three times in the first thirty years of the
present century China brought up armies each
of over seventy thousand men to the frontier
province of Kashgar, and each time reduced
it to helpless, though only temporary, submis
sion, But the movement against which it was
striving was too strong, for it was a great ethni
cal revision of borders, and resistless as any
other natural law, and the authority of
Pekin was, therefore, formally withdrawn about
fifty years ago. Russia, in fact, is rolling back
the tide of Chinese civilisation—for only by that
name can we call the condition of the Chinese
provinces, and their substantial well-being, as
compared with the Russian annexations. For
centuries China had been overflowing her bound
aries, and, in spite of Mohammedan resistance,
extending a nominal authority, but with solid
advantages, to districts beyond her regular satra
pies. The Sea of Aral was at one time spoken
of as " the Chinese Lake," and from that point,
through Tashkend to Khokand and Kashgar, her
officials were, only a century ago, as supreme as
any others. In 1759 Tashkend became formally
tributary to Pekin, and it remained so until 1829,
when China, tired of suppressing at great expense
the Turkoman disorders excited by the advance of
Russia, yielded by treaty her rights over Kho
kand and Kashgar to the chiefs in posses
sion. Russia at once stepped forward on the
heels of the retiring Celestials, and, occupying
Eastern Turkestan, pressed back the authority
of Pekin behind the Tian Shan mountains. In
an appeal to " the Great White Czar," in 1868,
the ruler of Kashgar wrote : " After the destruc
tion of the Chinese power, during six years all
has been destroyed that was good, and that
which commerce has created, so that nothing re
mains of it all." Nevertheless China knows
her own strength well, and when her Ambassa
dors return she will know also her adversary's
weakness; and pitted together, barbarian against
barbarian, in the oft-contested battle-fields of
Central Asia, the power of Pekin may fairly
hope not only to stem the Cossack advance, but
to render Russia impotent for mischief in the
Khanates she usurps. As a future opponent of
; Muscovite intrigue in the East, the Buddhist
Empire, therefore, comes into prominence to-day,
and the ''Tungan question," hitherto a purely
Russian topic, acquires importance in its new
relations to the real Asiatic question—the peace
of India.