RUSSIAN AIMS IN THE EAST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11455, 21 June 1899, Page 8

RUSSIAN AIMS IN THE EAST.

PLANS FOR THE INVASION OF

INDIA.

The following- account, of Russian aims in the ■ East: is r:sbmewhat more detailed (says the "Moscow correspondent of the Standard)- than- .any which has yet appeared.- If is extracted from an article in the; Trariscaspian Observer dealing with Russian ;'plans-for the invasion of India: —

; "At the present moment we are not at war with England, and we have no mind to conquei- India.. But we must be ready for this campaign if .England hinders us in the lines we'lfave laid down for ourselves, the first steps of which, by patient efforts that; have ■cost much blood, have already been taken. If our progress in Central Asia , has become more determined, the English, are themselves to blame for having closed to us the Straits into the Mediterranean, and Russia, with a growing population and increasing industries, must find, and will find, an outlet for herself to ;x southern sea1. -

''As Turkestan lias begun to supply Us more and more with raw cotton, so" the Caucasus is beginning to develop her natural1- wealth. ■> Great factories are already building to work* up the raw materials of Turkestan. The cotton, silk, and wool of Persia.^ likewise, 'present immense material ior our exploitation if we cut a railway through Persia, and make a more thorough acquaintance with'the'country. After the 3-^mperqr William's trip to Palestine the question of this railway can no longer be postponed. We must he before the Germans on the Persian Gulf. Our main line must run from the Caspian to Teheran, Ispehan, Yezd, ■ Herman, Bampur, and the coast" of Persian Baluchistan; from the main line a branch might be made to the Persian, Giilf. • Neither in Persia nor in Mesopotamia - must - there be any . other influence. than Russia's.

"In this way the. fundamental object of oiir progress southward must be the interests of trade and industry. But it would ■ quickly take the form of a menace if England should oppose our progress. Certain complications might lead to war: The conquest ol'lndia could not, of course, bring, us any advantage, but it would entirely uproot .England economically, and reduce her to the state of Holland. ' These view's should -be understood by English statesmen, and ought to dissipate their excessive suspicion while undermining their confidence in those fanatic foes of Russia among, the rulers and generals of India. They must understand and never lose sight of the fact that we have no need to overturn their Empire in India, if only they do not oppose the natural aspirations'of Russia towards the south, to which she has the right of a great and powerful people." The terminations of the " main line"' and the " branch " respectively, though not named, are (says the Pall Mall Gazette) obviously the seaports of Ghahbar and Bunder -Abbas, about which it is believed a secret treaty ■ was - concluded between Russia-and Persia some 15 years ago, on the basis of a memorandum 'for the occupation of Persiu, drawn up by the present Russian. Minister'of War, General Kuropatkin.. The resuscitation of this question at the present time is not without a special

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allled" nations would doubtless find 'themselves ideally" situated foranV further designs of. ag^KliL.ement on ?he bat of a T y et to be created. ..; ..