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Lyttelton Times, Volume LII, Issue 5827, 29 October 1879, Page 4

Lord Haetinoxok touched the aore place in the Afghan policy of the Government, when he spoke of the effect of the abdication of Takoob THinn. Ho said that. that abdication makes it impossible to locate a Resident at Cabal without adequate pro* tection. The truth of this will be admitted very'generally. It is in fact only what ; observers of the situation, foremost amongst whom are the newspaper press of France and Germany, have from the first expected. The difficulty of the British in Afghanistan is not, as the whole world has been saying ever since the news of the Cabul massacre was made public, to defeat the Afghan troops, or punish the outrage offered to the British flag in a signal and striking manner. The first of these objects has been accomplished by the victories of General Roberts, the second has been partly effected by the demolition of the citadel, the destruction of the Bala Hissar, the fine imposed on. the capital,. and the execution of five of the murderers. Shortly;we will very probably hear of the execution of more, in any number that may be deemed necessary to make the punishment sufficiently striking. Ail this was, it was predicted, an easy task, and the event -has justified the prediction.. The real difficulty was, it. was held, the maintenance of the Resident at Oabul, which was a cardinal feature of our declared policy. The Chancellor of the Exchequer declared that nothing of the policy would be abated, and Sir Louis Cavagnari boasted that were he to fall, there .were hundreds of British officers ready to take bis place. The question asked by public opinion at Home and abroad was, how did the Government propose to carry put its v policy without exposing the successor of the gallant Colonel to his dismal fate. Takoob Shan, who may be expected to know his countrymen as well i as anyone, has shown what he thinks of the diffi? cnlty ef protecting from attack, any Residency that may be established. He has simply abdicated rather than be responsible for the safety of any officer representing the British or the AngloIndian Government. It is true tba} Takoob is the ally of the British, owing his throne to their arms, and implicated in the vengeance their troop# * taken .for an 'outrage ‘which ]he-wae powerless , to prevent. Peapi IforTinT ..*rf«ty. have had possibly quite I as mupk eSaQ t on Yakoob’s iodnd. as I'i.-V. vl JS , \ )»' •• ViA I (SiJstH'f

wfs s3Sem*wmmtw ruling tha Afghan people who ia opposed to the British and. their policy, including of oofirte the establisnßent of a Resident offioar. The nation'is remarkable for the flerceneee of ita patriotism and the ■ah-daTirion of ita landed property, which probably is the cause of the depth of the national feeling. It is perfectly »*»r# of ths usual fate of countries in the Bart which hare submitted to Eeeideo6ica, and no reasoning will convince any man thijt the establishment of a Beeidant at Oabul is not meant aa an interferenbe in the affairs of tha country. Hence, no Ameer of Afghan choosing, is likely to become responsible; for . the eafety of Major Oavagnari’s auoceaaor. On the other hand, the ‘maintenance, of an Ameer of British nomination is just aa difficult as .the proteotion of tha Resident, The cruoial difficulty of the situation' has- come swiftly, on the Government, precipitated by the abdication of Takoob Khan... The. AngloIndian Government is on ihe toms of a dilemma. It. mart either' insist on a cardinal principle of its declared policy, or it must submit to a complete withdrawal from Afghan, territory. The first is necessarily the tion of Afghanistan, and virtually annexation, for nothing else will protect, the Resident, The second involves a certain loss of prestige. In the present temper of the British nation this second alternative appears to be the more likely to be accepted. As the choice will have to be made soon, the situation him become deeply interesting.