RUSSIAN SECRET ALLY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 79, 11 April 1885, Page 4

RUSSIAN SECRET ALLY.

Is Ayoub Khan in the Muscovite Cum

Tbe English Government wassuppostdto have rapid and accurate information of Russia's progress towards the Afghan f m . tier until the recent sudden irruption ol troops of the Muscovites upon Herat opened its oyes to tho folly of its comptjisant tog. fidenco in its Central Asian spies '

How is it that tho Russians have _»'■,.- abled to advance their light outposts nift. out the British Government being Apprised in time to stop their movements! fc must have had o raison d'etre for __ advance upon the Western Capital of Attn*, istan. Whatwasit? WaeitbeamePenii connived at the movement ? WasitbajM Russia overcame by force Persia'sobjec_o_i to allowing a European power to f_n itself between her Eastern frontiers on oti side and surround her with hungry hoi) of enemies on every other!' There is kei hitherto unexplained myetory. Onetlwy upon tho subject has noteven beeitbroadud by any English journal, althoughitiiioij. portant that it deserves consideratiotbile present extremely critical position oltHui between England and Russia.

Where is Ayoub Khan I Where bulit boen lurking for the last twoyeatif log England know? Whon in 1868 the Sin*.- ---" Sirdar " is really a chieftain of pmi —Mahomed Yakoob Khan defeated tbe troops of Afzul Khan, seized Kand_-,ttd proclaimed Shero AH, hie father, hy virtue of his victory, the Ameer of AfgMita, everybody was led to believe that nponthe death of Shore Ali, Yakoob Khan Wl succeed him upon the throne of CtU , Shere Ali took unto himself a nemriltj who bore him a son which was named itdoola J_n. This boy becami so greati favourite with his father that Yakoob, the •• first son, and Ayoub, tho second, wereei- . tirely ignored. So far did the old tan) : fatuouß fancy gc that ht issued thraegW Afghanistan a proclamation to tbe eSed that in tho event of hia death, AW * Jan should be tho successor to the tta .of Cabul. This naturally displeased W Ayoub and Yakoob, M the latter W i into open rebellion agitoifhfefilter. Iti Government of Jn'aa,, which always ie i lieves its interests tie. ~>*clueßy concen-l . trated in the politics .til Afghanistan, a*' trouble in the situation, and protested at Shere Ali's discrimination again** the» cession of Yakoob, the eldest born, and I ■ man who has proved himself a veiyiM , and gallant soldier. The Ameer, bowem, was obdurate. He refused to see sow , consequences ahead which hewastmbll ' to overcome, and Abdoola remained tk ■ nominee to tho Afghan throne. YaM i fled to Herat, where ho remained mop revolt against his father. Events move» pidly in Afghanistan. AbdoolaenominiM , took place in 1873. In thefoUowiogye«^ i koob was enticed to Cabul by haft-J * with promises of entirely satisfactory M * of reconciliation, and was, with chn* : ißtic Afghan treachery, thrown into m whence he was only released to lfM" the death of Abdoola and tbe«rgeot«-» , strances of tha Government of IMB. » the following year Shere AU'sreoepU^ . Russian embassy and his, refyealtoreem Sir Neville Chamberlain's mission fg , England led to a declaration of war(M Afghanistan and thi Government of I* ■ After a comparatively ____ , British victories compe led SheK \tm to Balkh, where he died, and ..toM so to speak, elevated -t»»P*JL' throne, a not uncommon episode-KW personal careers. &_?__}_ was made Governor of the distnct.ot_» dThe massacre of Sir his companions again »»«re|MPJ Yakoob^Khan. lie was MH ried into India as a polity ?««^ British Government and it «g in the pre-ent crl^M|W Bala His-ar, or Citadel of. o*|| British Government claimed to |g covered Kussian doonmente,^ am of which it refused to itdrHj likelihood these JWV_?.jil of Kussian intrigue in,o*4 '^ difficult to conjecture why Enga act upon them before she «&# that Russia was of Herat. Ayoub Khan was ot» g idle during the, war ' ri»h MM exile of his M?J n%_mA nomination of , AbdumtowT m tbe Ameership. *»»*.■!&* with a largo army, < f *JgM vand, close to the 1880, and almost annih*lateda|^| of 3,000 men under Gen.Bungy* ing up his victory, he »"*lJs* with such rigourtkt it «^ijSi could do by forced marches to J»g oity by his army from Wfflß leisurely retired to Herat, wh^ July, 1881, he defeated alargej' haibeens;ntag a io S thi»byAj< He was, however, *"*»%ss floe from Herat, and bnMJffl Persia with considerabl _* number of followers. Stnceh^ Herat his movements -*™ n l*?2W There is now some reason"^ Ayoub Kban foundh« way»yg Central Asian camp, of revenge and gain. »Wpi coviteto obtain WpffiJSll gate of India." « Ifrjffiffl Pect, Russia's menace ■WgSg mow formidable than *^ L»K he at, first si.ht. Had she PJJ single-handed, the Herat^*^ j£ have opposed her prog**' » gone there inih Ayoub Kb»n. J 'ho may -X' upon th« COW P rent number of Afghan jfW consider Ayoub one of th^ rfc^ that ever ruled as ™^&J Russia in short, ™'V* benefit of Ayoub's P«*tg ° M --,« a pucccsf.il soldier, but *» f^V guished member of < h. eT at M cannot hero bo forgotton^W previously intrigued "££**•£ considerable expense w» *> Durance royal i*m]>J__t*#s Ahdurrahman.thopre^tf^ safety in fli?ht fr/m *_ s ,[ o ni W***M £v*« yinthpßßß«»lg! (( rf^B him with an M»^j£S*.~»sß him (<> support thsappwrajJM X W h,.s to con«de Ameer of Af-hantsta" i« Ba- irJfHM forr^rW^a_fi« as to enter into fh »m°* if,. _■ Shfl ft ,, o i iaß to 7** h.r n v EpH Kandahar if Ajoub■ Kg* h „ * ■ appearance '"» Jfe**:* honoured guest m mJ^_ H «™«K*ttS_S^