Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1905. RUSSIAN ACTIVITY IN ASIA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXII, Issue 6570, 15 May 1905, Page 2

Ashburton Guardian Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. MONDAY, MAY 15, 1905. RUSSIAN ACTIVITY IN ASIA.

The cables on Saturday reported an important speech made by Mr Balfour on the defence of the Empire, more particularly with reference to India. The chief danger at present threatening the latter country is Russian aggression m Central Ada m general, "and Afghanistan m particular, Mr Balfour described the Ameer's country as a buffer State between India and the Russian advance, and it io clear that unless Russia is allowed to construct strategic railways m Afghanistan, sho cannot hope to strike a serious blow at Britain's great eastern dependency. Theprocessof absorption which Russia has pursued iv Asia has nowhere been more marked than m the central portion of that continent. In Turkestan and the countries adjoining Persia she has been particularly successful m securing a tight hold, and there is no Japan m Central Asia that can compel her to relax her grip once she has laid her hands on the territory of the Asiatic tribesmen. The Russian plan of iconquest is a gradual process of absorption aided by the construction of strategic and other railways. The great Trans-Caspian railway aystom within the last quarter of a century has been extended by means of various branch lines until it now runs along the north of Persia and Afghanistan and close to the frontiers of Chinese Turkestan. The Orenburg-Tash-kent rajlway was completed about six months ago, and by this means direct communication i 3 established between the Russian capital and the chief city of Russian Turkestan. The length of] the lina from Orenburg on the Russian river Ural to Tashkent m Russian Turkestan is. over 1,300 miles, a distance which the Russian railway builders covered inside four years. Another line connected with the TransCaspian system extends from Samarkand m Western Turkestan to Andiian and on to Osh. Then unother branch starts at Merv m Turkestan along the Murgabrivtr to Kushk, which is close to Afghanistan. Merv is a very important strategic point, being situated at the intersection of the routes from Bokhaia to Meshed and from Khiva to Herat. Tie last mentioned town is not far from Kushk, so that practically the Russian advance has reached the borders of Af ghaaistan, and the question is whether Britain is going to allow it to penetrate right into that" country. It is predicted that the branch line from Samarkand to Andijun and on to Osh will be eventually extended to Kashgar, which is the capital of Chinese Turkestan. It is plain that under these circumstances the Russian position m Central Asia and m states not far removed from India will bo overwhelmingly strong. Mr Balfour declared that if Britain allows the Blow absorption of Afghanistan to take place as she allowed Ithe absorption of the countries of the tribesmen of Central Asia, and if she permits strategic railways to creep closer and closer to the Afghan frontier, the Empire will have to pay for its supinenesss by keeping a much larger army. The warning uttered by Mr Balfour has J not been given any too soon, and it is plain \ from the tone of the utterance that the British Government is determined to make a seriou'-i attempt to block Russian aggression m Afghanistan. Though Russian intrigue with Asiatic tribes effects wonderful result^, it is not likely that the Afghans would welcome the advance of the railway into their territorie?, and this fact [will assist Britain m her opposition to any extension of the Russian strategic railway into Afghanistan. Mr Balfour indicated that Britain will be prepared to help the Afghans m defending their country, and they would m that case be sxtrernoly formidable opponents. The mission which lately visited the| Ameer under Mr Louis Dane djd a great deal of good m strengthening British influence with the Afghan ruler; but the Russian method by constructing railways is a much surer way of securing a hold on a country. Once the present war is over, Russian activity will be renewed m Central Asia, and it remains foj? Britain m defence of India to block the Russian vray to Kabul,