'Russia, India and the Persian Gulf' [‎20v] (40/46)

36 Proceedings of the East India Association.
across salt deserts, when everybody knew that such could be spanned by
lines of railway. Russia had shown her ability to build railways through
the most difficult country, and the veriest sceptic would not doubt her
power to push her railways into Afghanistan when the political situation
should favour her doing so. Major Pemberton firmly believed that Russia
would in the course of the present century make an attempt to cause us
trouble in India, and it rested with us to now determine by our action or
inaction what measure of success should meet such aggression on her part.
Personally, he spoke with no other feeling than one of amity towards
Russia, a country he knew well. In the course of his travels throughout
the Russian Empire he had come in contact with Russians of all classes,
and had invariably received the greatest possible kindness, and been struck
by the liking shown for individual Englishmen.
Sir George Birdwood said he had respectfully declined the invitation
to open the discussion on Mr. Rees’ paper, as he was not competent to
deal with its all-important and pressing subject; but he had the greatest
pleasure in proposing the vote of thanks to Mr. Rees. He always felt
thankful that a retired Indian civilian of Mr. Rees’ position and experience
had the energy and the patriotic spirit to enter into the public discussion
in this country of questions affecting the interests of India. It was an im
perial loss that the influence of these retired Indian civilians—the only
people who really knew anything of India—was so little exercised in this
country, entirely owing to their diffidence in addressing popular meetings ;
but Mr. Rees had resolutely overcome that obstacle, and was always to the
fore wherever any subject connected with India was being debated, and
was always convincing and impressive. His set papers and speeches were
always valuable contributions to knowledge, and in debate he was most
effective, and his brilliant repartees in reply to irrepressible faddists and
cranks, warps and crotcheteers of every tribe, always gave him especial enjoy
ment and delight. The lecture had been admirable in itself, and not less
so from the weighty observations it had called forth from Major Pemberton,
Mr. Lynch, and their distinguished chairman, Sir Charles Dilke, the first
and foremost of living authorities on its subject. Most suggestive, in his
opinion, if it was worth expressing, was the casual question put by Dr.
Oswald to Mr. Lynch as to what he would say if Russia got into the
hinterland of Persia by way of Armenia. He thought that a fundamental
and the vital question. But for the conquest of the Caucasus, confirmed
by the cession of Batoum to Russia, the Russians would never have found
it possible to approach India from beyond the Caspian. Dr. Oswald’s
question suggested the answer that the vulnerable points of Russia were
on the Black Sea and the Baltic. The pursuit of a hinterland policy must
take you to the Caucasus and St. Petersburg at last, and why not begin
there ? He could not but help agreeing with what had been said by their
distinguished chairman in defence of the fortifications of the Indian North-
West Frontier. It seemed to him that the moneys spent on them had in
no sense been misspent. Russia had now for some time realized the
difficulties of the approach to India in that direction, and India was,
indeed, now practically impregnable from that direction, and we owed this