THE STATE OF AFGHANISTAN.

Press, Volume XXXIII, Issue 4576, 1 April 1880, Page 3

THE STATE OF AFGHANISTAN.

The Cabul correspondent of the "Times" ! telegraphing on February Bfch, says:—The j more I see of the present state of Afghan- ] ißtan and the more I mix with its Sirdars, the ; lesß do I wonder that the Government should ; be slow in deciding bow to deal witb the present situation. There can, however, be no doubt that the question presses for solution. Our present attitude of apparent hesitation * almost invites another coalition against us, ! and our prolonged military occupation of * Cabul is almost as offensive to patriotic a Afghans, or Afghans interested in the inde- * pendence of their country, as if we declared ' our determination to annex the country. * Three months ago, in the then apparently . acquiescent State of the people, muoh could be c Baid in favor of a policy of waiting upon events and some strong man coming to the t front, but such a leader in Afghanistan did * not arise, nor is there any present indication ' ot any chief possessing the ability or influence x to take real command of tbe country. In fact, 3 it daily becomes more apparent to careful j observers that Afghanistan is not a nation ! which can be held together by any but a very extraordinary man. Such a man apparently was Shere Ali, who for at least a few years of bis reign certainly exercised a very real aud far-reaching authority over even suoh a remote dependency as Herat. Now, however, that Shere Ali is gone, tbe different component provinces of Afghanistan at onoe resolve themselves, as a matter of - course, into separate and independent States. Herat, for instance, is rarely even mentioned c at Cabul, its affairs seemingly exciting no j interest among tbe Sirdars who are gather, d g round General Boberts. In the same way the I interests of Candahar are treated as quite foreign from those of Cabul, and I can trace no feeling of jealousy among those Afghans I meet at the way in which the affairs of the former province have been so long administered by General Stewart and the Sirdars who are acting under him. Turkestan, indeed, as being nearer, is regarded with more interest; . yet even this interest is languid, while the c more remote provinces of Badakshan and Wakhan are never mentioned, and the attention of the Afghan Sirdars seems limited to tbe affairs of Ghazni, Logar, and Kobistan. ' These facts appear to mc to suggest the inference that we have heard the last of a united Afghanistan, and that for some years at least the only Power which could, if it chooses, again build up Afghanistan into a solid, united kingdom is England. Notwith- c standing recent combinations against us, I ( think that if such an improbable decision 1 were adopted we should encounter in its cxc- 1 cution no more than a very perfunctory * resistance. The assertion may seem strange, but I believe that suoh a decision would be more unpopular with the British officers and < European and native soldiers than witb the , Afghans themselves.. It is, however, a faot ( that neither officers nor men are fascinated by < the prospect of prolonged service here, and . that few would be sorry to exchange tbe dis- '< comforts of Afghanistan for the conveniences ] of India. All, indeed, are ready to do their ' du'y to the end, but the British officers at . Cabul have not that craving for conquest and - adventure witb which the Bussian officers serving in Turkestan are rightly or wrongly j credited.