Hawke's Bay Herald. MONDAY, MARCH 21, 1887. RUSSIA AND INDIA.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7697, 21 March 1887, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald. MONDAY, MARCH 21, 1887. RUSSIA AND INDIA.

Him designs' of Russia continue to form the subject of discussion in the English Press, some writers contending that the intentions of the Muscovite aro to obtain possession of Constantinople, while others hold that India is the_ goal of his ambition. The truth probably is that Russia desires to get both if 'she can— Constantinople perhaps first and India afterwards. This view is taken in an article in the Quarterly for January under the heading " Constantinople, Russia, and India." The writer, in support of his contention that Russia is longing to possess India ; says': " Let any constant reader of Russian journals say^ whether that portion of the Russian Press which finds most favor with the public and the Government is not constantly harping on the theme of India and threatening to attack England in the East, ' Let Englishmen who have been long resident in Russia,' and, speaking Russian, have mixed intimately in Russian circles, • say, whether the advance on India is not it frequent ami engrossing subject of conversation. Why is Russia troubling her- | self to organise the forces of Persia, lending her ollicers, and making presents of ] artillery to the Shah ? The services of ' Persia are certainly not required either in 1 Europe or in Central Asia. They are re- i quired to secure the flank of the Russian 1 advance on Indin. -We have heard a •' Russian say, 'Ah!, you English have < always had the best of us till now, but it ' was your gold that beat us, and. now we know where the gold comes from we shall seize the mine. We will take India. Then we shall have the money and you ] will cense to exist.' " Here wo have the ( subject placed on quite a different footing ( to the one which has generally prevailed, t The desire to possess India has been [ almost always ascribed to the ruling c powers in Russia, but it would seem r that the Russian people are equally j eager to seize the supposed golden t country. " Where a nation," says tho | Quarterly, "in suffering from extronie poverty Eldorados are readily believed , in, and covetousness influences national „ sentiment, but where, besides, a national „ hallucination, the material interests of numbers of the most influential classes aro really involved, action ' will surely } follow sentiment. Tho universal belief, I even among educated Russians, in the I 1 marvellous riches of India is almost incredible to those who havo not actually P heard it expressed. And while this belief " exists and influences large classes who have no direct interest in the matter, ' circumstances have been continually in- !' creasing the number of Russians who see a direct advantage to themselves in the Cl ndvanee on India. . . . Russia, like lier neighbors, bus been suffering acutely °.' For the last few years from over-produc-tion of nearly every article sho manu- n factures. Under these circumstances " the cry of the commercial classes ta, as elsewhere, for new inaket3, oi and Asia (touerally, and India par- L feicularly, offer promising fields where c Russia may hope to expand her trade y secure from the competition of more a civilised rivals. Whore Russia goes she o establishes her protective tariff— a tnriffat b imeo the most rigid and exclusive— and b England and other rivals are driven out of a the field. If therefore tho comparatively ai small Central Asian market is of iim p portanco to the Russian manufacturer, it d> it is easy to perceive that tho possession p of the Indian market represents to him an f< endlofis source of wealth. Riches and n prosperity would, ho tl|lnks, bo readily c< attained jf oi|ly the' English were t( driven out of India, the protec- tl fcivo tariff established, nnd the sup- hi ply of the swarming millions of i

natives -givoh! to Ttussian trade." The Russian' offioiijls are also anxious 'for anadvance on ln'clia. Experience has shown them that a successful campaign in Asia leads to solid advantages^ .When a new province -is organised a large number of desirable appointments aro open, and these prizes' the, Itusssian officials lUiuk will be both plentiful and rich when India is annexed. ■ In fact all classes in Russia except the peasant are strongly infected with the fever for India, and there needs bub small- provocation to induce Russia to take tho first stop in her design. This at any rate is the opinion of the .writer in thu Quarterly, and ho adduces a number ot reasons in support of his contention besides those we have given. J.nt he does not think there is any ground for fearing the result of a contest,, and he believes that England's best policy would be to court it. " The circumstances of- the case," he says, "permit England to-day to meet Russia with far greater certainty of success than if she engaged in a' warwith any other iivst=class power. But, to secure sneeess Englishmen must continue to believe in themselves, their own powers and resources; they must remember that the Russians nuist not have Constantinople, and they must put away all superstitious fear of tlie Russian bugbear. Above all England must be prepared for the struggle which she cannot avert. She must resolutely take up the task of putting her house in order, and tho acknowledged deficiencies of her armed forces must be remedied without a, moment's delay.