Scrapbook of newspaper cuttings about Afghanistan [‎149r] (306/312)

RUS SIA AND CHI NA.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.
Sir,—The remark of Sir Bartle Frere in his letted
which you publish this mprning, that " we should occa-1
sionally look at Central Asian politics from a Chinese;
point of view," draws attention to an important factor in '-
the settlement of Asiatic questions which is too often)
overlooked at the present juncture. China has soflfered
much at the hands of Russia. Wholo provinces have been'
taken from her, and outlying frontier districts have fron^
time to time been absorbed, with barely an apology, into]
the Russian Empire. At the present moment, also, tho>
Chinese province of Kuldja is held by the Russians i»j
defiance of their promises to yield it up whenever the
Chinese should be prepared to retake possession, and of thai
repeated demands which have been made for its restitu-l
tion by the Pekin Government.
The recent successful campaign in Kashgaria has left 1
China stronger in Central Asia than she has ever been ;
and since the retention of Kuldja has placed her on a com
mon ground of antagonism to Russia with ourselves, the
merest prudence would suggest that we should come to
clear understanding with her in support of our eommoa^
interests. I am. Sir, your obedient servant,
October 17. ROBERT KL DOUGLAS. ;
!!
Oue telegraphic message from Simla conveys
the 'welcome news that the Sirdar Leader of a tribe or a polity; also refers to a military rank or title given to a commander of an army or division. G -holam
H oussein has safely reached British terri
tory, and this tends to confirm the report
yesterday published that the reply of which 1
he was the bearer was " unsatisfactory." The
latter intelligence is likely, we think, to be
found accurate, and it has no doubt a serious,,
significance. When we remember that the
Viceroy has despatched three communications
to the Ameer of A fghanistan , without hitherto
obtaining an answer, and when the contents of
Lord L ytton's principal letter are recalled, it
cannot but be seen that for the response to be
" unsatisfactory " at all implies something more
than mere delay, evasion, or ambiguity. The
Viceroy's language was simple and precise, and
may be usefully recalled. He said: " The
authentic intelligence which I have lately re
ceived as to the course of recent events at
Cabul and in the countries bordering on Afghan
istan has rendered it necessary that I should
communicate fully and without reserve with your
. Highness upon matters of importance, which
concern the interests of India and Afghanistan.
, For this reason I have considered it expedient to
depute an especial and confidential Envoy of
high rank, who is known to your Highness,
his Excellency General Sir N eville B owles
C hamberlain . He will visit your Highness
. immediately in order that he may converse per
sonally with your Highness regarding these
urgent affairs. It appears certain that they can
best be arranged for the welfare and tranquillity
of both States and the preservation of friendship
between the two Governments by a full and
frank statement of the present position." This
announcement, which was banded to S heee A li
by our native Envoy, did not admit of con-
troversy^ and only one way of answering it
satisfactorily remained open to the Ameer. He
replied by closing his territory against us ; but
if subsequently he had written that he had been
ill-advised in entertaining the Russian agent
while he repulsed the British Mission, that he re
gretted this course of action, and that he had given
orders to re-open the pass and receive an English
Ambassador with due honours, there might yet
have been time to withdraw the troops on either
side, and to consider whether the dissolved Mis
sion could not be profitably reconstituted. But
nothing of a nature so wise and pacific will be |
iound, we fear, in the text of the Ameer's
answer ; and we repeat that if this answer, as
the report foreshadows, prove even at all " un
satisfactory," it must from the circumstances
prove highly unsatisfactory indeed, to the extent
probably of putting an end to all further efforts
at negotiation. It is difficult to imagine how
the Viceroy's Government could possibly con
tinue friendly relations with the Cabul Court if
any reply but a completely conciliatory one shall
have been received. There is nothing for which
Oriental minds have such contempt as the ami
able diplomacy which can go on inquiring whether
anything disrespectful is intended after a pal
pable insult has been inflicted. Accustomed to
our slow but sure ways in military matters, the
Asiatics will understand and will await those
deliberate preparations with which we take up a
j quarrel; but they would at qpce regard us as
secretly afraid if the Persian and Russian scribes
of Sherb Ali were allowed to involve Lord
L ytton in any wordy warfare. If, then, /i a ,
there be evasion or ambiguity in the Ameer'i y '
j reply—still more if there be a final refusal to
associate the policies of Afghanistan and India,
however skilfully the defiant resolve may be
couched in polite phrases—in such a case, wo
conceive, the Viceroy will have but one course
open to him. This Ruler, who has received so
many favours from the British Power, repulses
,our friendly Mission with a threat of force, while
he entertains the agent of a Sovereign, who can
have no business in Afghanistan, except of a
sort incompatible with English interests and
with the pledges of his own Ministers. That
repulse has since been followed up by the array
of large armed forces and the levy of the tribes,
■while the Ameer's tardy response to the letter
of the Q ueen's Viceregent—by its very date an
affront—promises to furnish no reparation or
suggestion of re-arrangement. In such an event
it is obvious that the British Government would
have to provide for the future security of its
frontier by methods which would entirely set
aside S here A li's consent and personal in
terests.
Meanwhile there is little fear that the dangers
of a religious war will be added to those which
our army may have to encounter in establishing
better securities against a Russian advance. It
would be utterly useless for the Ameer to cry a
jehad against the only European Power which is
now looked upon by Asiatics as just and well dis
posed towards Mahommedans. Some grossly
ignorant observations have been recently mado
by writers, who, pointing to the conduct ol
this Muslim Prince, ask what benefit we havf
derived from English goodwill towards th<
Ottomans, when the first event after the Peaci
of Berlin is a " revolt of Islam " at Cabul. Such
shallow critics of public affairs do not know
how slight and yet how strong is the continuity
of the Muslim world. In politics Cabul and
Constantinople are too wide apart for mucb
mutual influence. S here A li's Moollahs would
bow to an interpretation from the Sheikh-ut
Islam as to the force of a ritual or a verse, but
his chiefs and Ministers would not trim theU
measures of state one hair's-breadth this way oi
that to please the Grand Vizier. Nevertheless
it is something more than an empty act of
friendliness which the Sultan has just done for
Great Britain in writing with his own hand
to S herb A li to reproach him for his con
duct towards the best and strongest friends of
the rights of Believers. This declaration from
the acknowledged head of the Sunni profes
sion, to which the majority of Afghan and In
dian Mussulmans belong, will pass with very
excellent and valuable effect throughout the
East, and assuredly stamp the Ameer as a self-
willed disturber of affairs, whom a good Muslim
might perchance aid for political or patriotic
reasons, but assuredly need not assist from
motives of pious duty. It is not going too fai
to believe that the letter of the Sultan will, even
before its arrival, and by its mere existence,
paralyse the religious side of the intrigue con
cocted at Cabul; all the more because the hands
of the Russians are, as it were, still red with the
blood of the faithful, and Muscovites are only
to be dealt with as allies by any Muslims on the
supposition that the just and powerful " Ferin-
ghees " have finally given up Persia and Afghan
istan to the cunning " Ooroos." The cordial
aid—we might almost say, speaking from an
Oriental point of view, the consecration—which
the Sultan has given to the British cause in th«
present crisis is, moreover, really the reflection of a
sentiment almost universally prevailing through
out Islam. The Arabic and Turkish papers of
the Levant A geographical area corresponding to the region around the eastern Mediterranean Sea. do justice to the resolute character oi
English policy during the approach of the Russians
towards Constantinople, and to the sincere bene
ficence displayed in our new projects of protec
tion and reform. The Al Jewaih h&s just pub
lished an article of admirable feeling and high
enlightenment in this sense ; and whatever else
the morose tyrant of Cabul may seek to do, he
certainly cannot hope to find us accepted aa
typical " Kafirs " or natural enemies of his people,
while he is seen fawning on the fanatical and
blood-stained Muscovites, and has placed in hii
hands this letter from his Lord and Caliph, re
proaching him for bis behaviour, and recom
mending him to crave and to preserve the friend
ship of the Christian people who know how to be
equitable towards other races and creeds.
An argument has been used in vindication ol
" masterly inactivity," which would have great
force did it not omit the weightiest factor in the
i problem. The course pursued during ihe last
bCJClf