The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1903. THE CLOUD IN THE EAST.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 102, 30 April 1903, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

THURSDAY, APRIL 30, 1903. THE CLOUD IN THE EAST.

far the causa' that lacks assistance For the wrong that needs resistance For the future in the distance And the good that we can do.

The attitude of Germany and Russia towards the Manehurian question has already been discussed in these columns, and .tprday's cables furnish' sufficient proof that the insatiable ambition of the one Power and duplicity of both, are just now a dangerous menace to the world's peace. Unfortunately neither Manchuria nor Macedonia cover the whole, ground of international rivalries; and there is a diplomatic problem in which Russia and England are jointly interested which presses as earnestly for solution as any difference of opinion about Turkey or China. The Persian Gulf is the "Mediterranean of Asia; the command of the Gulf and the adjacent seas is essential to the stability of England's Indian Empire; and the Baghdad railway threatens to bring Russia and Germany down to the Gulf as allies united in a common hostility to England.

The intelligence received from Home about the Baghdad railway within the last fortnight has been of the most disquieting nature. It appears that Germany has invited England to use her influence to procure a terminus for the German trans-Asiatic line at Koweyt, the finest harbour on.the Gulf, now under the protection of England. The scanty notes that reach us by cable seem to indicate that the average English newspaper has so far failed to grasp the tremeudo'is importance of this question; and, worse than all, Mr Balfour's Government, not yet satisfied with their experience of a foreign "alliance," were engaged for the time in inviting England once more to play the catspawfor Germany.However, after a week's suspense, the diplomatic horizon seems to have cleared. The "Time:/' pointed out that to assist Germany in this project would ho to surrender valuable British privileges, and at the.same time incur the bitter hostility of Russia; and it is simply astonishing that so soon after the Venezuelan "mess" a British -Minister should have ventured to contemplate this suicidal step. It must be remembered that in the opinion of the most eminent Orientalists the. appearance of a hostile Power on,the shores of the Persian Gulf must constitute a distinct threat to India, and a most serious peril to British supremacy in the East. Only 10 years ago Lord Curzon declared that the British Minister who should connive at the cession of a portion of the Gulf to a Foreign Power would deserve impeachment; further, that the seizure of such a port by any Power must be regarded as an unfriendly act, and followed ly war. Within the last three months Captain Mahan has shown in a lucid and masterly essay that England's hold upon India would he most seriously imperilled by the appearance of any hostile Power in the Gulf, and that England would not be justified in making Russia or any other Power such concession as would, be involved in admitting her to Persian waters. Yet Mr Balfour seems to have been on the verge of a mistake far worse than thisi We must remember that Germany's traditional policy has been to conciliate Russia and to aggravate by all possible means the latent hostility that has long separated Russia and England. The Baghdad railway is a serious grievance in Russia's eyes, and the Kaiser.. persuaded England to withdraw her opposition to.'it by trading on the jealousy of the Russophobes. But Russia already overshadows I Northern Persia, and has always, looked south to the Gulf as the natural goal of her expansion. She has already demanded from Persia a port on the Gulf at Bunder Abbas, and only the strong protest of England confirmed the Shah's refusal. Now Germany is to come down to the Gulf at Koweyt, a splendid harbour, large enough for the whole British fleet. Only a year ago our warsnips Intervened to defend Koweyt because, prompted by Germany, the Sultan had authorised an attack upon its Sheikh. But Maburakh is old, and at his death Turkey will certainly claim Koweyt; so that we cannot depend upon maintaining ourselves there for long without a struggle. If Germany once holds Koweyt, not only will her fleet have a strong naval "base from which India will he constantly menaced, but Russia, in the natural order of things, will demand a port for, herself to;maintain the naval balance in the East. The drama of Kiaocbau and Port Arthur will he played over again; and, as in China, England will find that Germany will propitiate Russia by helping her to take whatever she wants. If there is any real danger in Russia's presence on the, Gulf, there will be infirijte.lv more if she is brought down there by the help and countenance of Germany. An able observer, writing on the "Middle Eastern' Question'? in the "Times," asks: "Can any British Government, looking back upon the subsequent course of events in the Far East, contemplate with equanimity their reproduction in the Persian Gutf on the very thre»hold

of our Indian Empire?" To this question it seems' to us England can have but one reply. We have allowed Germany to ..forestall-us in; the. matter of the Baghdad concession; but there b no reason why we should'offer'her'further assistance to' ruin our Eastern tra le and sow enmity between us and Russia. If we mean to keep Russia out of the Gulf, by force or by negotiations, let us deal directly with her; but let us never trust ourselves again in the hands of the Power that has, at every crisis in diplomatic history during the last generation, in turn insulted and betrayed us.