Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about Afghanistan [‎124r] (255/312)

DAILY TELEGRAPH, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11,
BUSStf A AND C ABUL.
The correspondent of the Timet of India, writing on
the 12th ult. from Rawul Pindee, says: " The mission
to Cabul is the all-ahsorbing topic of public interest
here just now, and will, I suppose, continue so until its
return with the Ameer's answer to the Viceroy's de
mands. Sir Neville Chamberlain and suite arrived here
last night, and left for Peshawur this morning, where
they will arrive to-night, and as all the arrangements
for the departure of the mission have been most assi
duously pushed forward by Major Waterfield, it is ex
pected to leave Peshawur by the 15th at the latest. The
escort that is to accompany the mission is very gene
rally pronounced here as being much too weak ; it will
consist of a squadron of the Guide Cavalry, fifty sabres
11th Bengal Cavalry, and fifty rifles of the Guides, all
armed with the Snider. If this force could be
supplemented with a couple of Gatling guns it
would be sufficiently formidable to keep at bay
a very considerable namber of such troops as
the Afghans could bring against them, should
they, in violation of the laws of nations, attempt
violence towards the mission. The chances of such a
catastrophe occurring, however, are very remote ; for,
infatuated and misguided as Shere Ali may be, he
cannot be blind to the fact that an attack on the mis
sion would be an unpardonable offence, which would
only precipitate hostilities on our part, and inevitably
terminate in his dethronement. Whatever promises of
assistance the Russians may make, it is highly impro
bable that, at the present critical juncture, when the
political horizon in Europe is so unsettled, and she her
self so greatly weakened after her recent struggle with
Turkey, she would hazard a war with England, to sup
port so vacillating and treacherous an ally as the Ameer
of Cabul. I do not think that a better opportunity
than the present for pressing our terms on the Ameer
could have presented itself, and the Indian Government
w«uld do wisely to make much of it. We can do that
to-day in Afghanistan with 20,000 troops that we will
hot be able to do ten years hence—if we let this oppor
tunity slip—with 100,000. Pacific overtures, backwi by
costly presents, consisting of Arab horses, rifles, jewel
lery, clothing, (fec.,'are evidently to receive a fair trial,
but should these fail in bringing "Shere Ali to his
senses, it is fervently to be hoped the stern alternative
of war will unhesitatingly be held out to him."
The Indian Daily News of Sept. 17 remarks: " With
the good wishes of all Anglo-Indians, almost we had
written the approval of all Anglo-Indians, Sir Neville
Chamberlain has started on his mission. A fortnight
ago people seemed to think and care very little about
that mission. It is not so now. The critical state of
the political situation in Europe, keener realisation of
the scope and meaning of the Russian advance in Cen
tral Asia, accumulating proofs that Russian promises
are not worth pie-crust—all these considerations have
had their influence in determining the bent of men's
minds on the subject; but more than anything else
perhaps has the keen unwonted interest manifested
by the English pr6ss influenced opinion. Prestige
may be a primitive, old-world, quite exploded idea,
but it is as the breath of life to the British Empire
in India, and we simply cannot afford to have it said
in Indian bazaars, and places where men congregate,
that the Russians are gaining an advantage over us itf
diplomacy and war, and everything else, and must soon
displace us in India. That is what would be said if we
allowed Jttussia to acquire preponderating influence at
the Court of Cabul; and the value of prestige might
then become manifest, inasmuch as the loss of it would
necessitate the keeping up of much larger armaments
than we have occasion to employ now; and that would
entail expense. It will be cheaper, therefore, and
better in every way to settle the business now, and to
settle it thoroughly. All these subsidies and rifles, and
bribes of all sorts that we have been paying off and on for
years, have after all only put off the evil day, and put it
off to a more inconvenient season. And the money might
have been much better spent. Let us have no more
such bribery. It is unworthy ; and worse than that, ft
is useless. Therefore, let us now assert ourselves, and
if fighting there must be let us fight. That seems to be
the argument."
The Moscow correspondent of the Cologne Gazette
states that in the coming war between England and Af
ghanistan Russia may assist the latter Power with
officers, guns, iron, and steel; but there is no prospect
of her giving it material aid in the shape either of men
or gold. She has neither men nor gold to spare. How
ever, she is not prepared to" allow England to steal a
march upon her in Asia. If England gains a footing in
Afghanistan, as now seems probable, Russia will ob
tain compensation elsewhere. The Chinese persist in
their claim to Kuldja, and it Russia was to give up that
place that would unquestionably be to the advantage of
England. However, Russia is not thinking of such a
sacrifice. What England gains in Afghanistan, Russia
will seek to gain in Kashgar. The correspondent adds
that the first step which Russia will take in this direc
tion will be to annex the fertile province of Turfan, in
which both cotton and silk are cultivated to a consider
able extent, and with good results. England, it is
thought, will be quite unable to prevent such a step.
The Vienna Fremdeublatt gives the following account
of the circumstances attending the Durbar A public or private audience held by a high-ranking British colonial representative (e.g. Viceroy, Governor-General, or member of the British royal family). held by
Shere Ali of all the chiefs who recognise his supremacy:
" These chiefs numbered forty-two. They Were received
in a camp arranged especially for them outside the
town, and were entertained at the expense of the
Ameer. Two days after their arrival Shere Ali, accom
panied by his Ministers and Generals and the most im
portant ulemas of Cabul, repaired to this camp, where he
was received by the chiefs and their followers with great
enthusiasm. He announced to them all that the Padi
shah of the Russians, Iskander (Alexander), had sent
an embassy to him in order to bind more closely the
friendly relations already existing between the two
countries, so that in future they may live on a good
understanding between them. He asked the assembly
whether he had done well to receive such an embassy
with distinction, and the reply on all sides was ' Very
good, very good.' Shere Ali then ordered his Me-
hurdar (keeper of the seals) to give to the assembly
a short description of the power of the Russians
and of the extent of their country, in order that the
Afghans might understand with what a formidable
Empire they had to deal ; and then, speaking himself,
the Ameer said, ' Return to your brethren and sharpen
your sabres and point your lances, so that you may be
ready to enter the field well armed in case I should
have to call upon you to combat the enemies of your
country.' The Ameer then returned to the town, and
for two days his Ministers and the chiefs of the tribes
held council on the subject of the finances and the
military strength of the country, and the sixth day
after their arrival these same chiefs took leave of Shero
Ali in his residence of Baha Hissar, and returned to
their homes."
PALL MALL O ctober ii, 1878.
At the close of an article in to-day's Times, under the heading of
" Afghanistan," there appear some judicious admonitions, which admit of
further application than that made of them by the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. . He disclaims
" any wish to adopt a pessimist tone "—an unnecessary disclaimer to put
forward in respect of anything allowed to appear in the journal for which
he writes—" or to advance imaginary and fancied dangers in the work now
before our soldiers in Afghanistan, but we have every reason to counsel a firm
though cautious attitude in dealing with these savage Mahommedan races.
Within the last few months we have seen raw, untrained levies, men unused
to war, uninitiated into the mysteries of long-range shooting, ignorant of
the use of artillery, hold at bay very powerful forces belonging to a first-
rate Power. We have seen the enormous strength put forward to subdue
a few thousand mountaineers fighting on their own soil, in defence of
what they deem their just rights j we have the memory of many a sharp
skirmish on a Punjaub hillside, as well as the recollection of the
mismanaged and ever-to-be-deplored last Afghan campaign. It is
with the view of avoiding similar errors that we counsel prudence.
There is a time for dash and a time for caution. When our com
missariat arrangements are perfected, when our communications with
the frontier are complete, when we have sufficient troops at the front
to keep open unthreatened the passes into Cabul—then, and not till
then, shall we deem it prudent to encourage in our generals that
spirit of dashing enterprise which has characterized the leaders of our
armies in every clime, but which, perhaps, has never been shown to more
advantage than in the East." These warnings^aooear to us verv wise;
but in urging the necessity of "having sufficient troops at the front
to keep open and unthreatened the passes into Cabul," _ the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping.
suggests to us the further question whether the troops now in India are
sufficient for the work to be done; bearing in mind that there are
always other duties for our soldiers in that country than those which are
performed "at the front," and duties, too, which cannot without the
greatest danger be neglected or performed " underhanded." We are not
in a position to say for ourselves how this may be; but it is time the
question should be asked.