ENGLAND AND RUSSIA.

Evening Post, Volume XXX, Issue 59, 7 September 1885, Page 2

ENGLAND AND RUSSIA.

Busßia has evidently been playing a game j of brag in reference to Afghanistan, and had the Gladstone Government remained in offioe, it is very probable that the stakes would have been won. The firm attitude taken up by Lord Salisbury and the knowledge that he would be quite prepared to fight if necpflsary and wonld not be bounoed, seems to have been quite sufficient for Bußsia, and accordingly Lord Randolph Churohill has been enabled to announce that the difficulty about the Zulfjkar Pass had been settled in a manner satisfactory to England and to the Ameer. This is good news, for it means a postponement of the evil day when war shall be declared. It is, however, only to be regarded as a postponement. Bnsßia does not regard the time aa opportune, or she is not quite ready to strike a decisive blow, and bo she gainß time by temporary concession. That the goal stall steadily aimed at is Herat cannot, we think, be doubted, and we hope that no false feeling of security will be allowed to lull England into relapsing into a state of unpreparednesß snob aB that whioh existed * few months ago. We sinoerely hope that even if the Liberals should regain power at the next general eleotion, they will profit by the lesson pf Conaatyj^e firmness whioh Lord Salisbury has given them, and that we shall hare no repetition of the timid vaoillation whioh distinguished the foreign policy of Mr. Gladstone 1 and the administration of Lord Granville. The latest news to hand, that the Bussiana have made a further aggressive move, and have taken possession of Chaman-1-baid, a small town between Penj-doh and the Zulfikar Pass, would seem to indioate a desire to feel the pulse of England to see how far they may safely go, as also to counteract any unfavourable idea which might grow up in liußßia as to their having been worsted in regard to the oommand of the pasa.