Great Britain and Russia.

Thames Advertiser, Volume XXIX, Issue 9498, 29 November 1899, Page 2

Great Britain and Russia.

ALLEGED ATROCITIES AT KABUL. AMEER REPORTED INSANE BERIES OP TERRIBLE MURDERS According to reports from Russian authorities in Central Asia (says the Telegraph correspondent at St. Petersburg) the Ameer of Afghanistan is growing insane, and serious troubles are impending in that count) y. Not only is Abdurrahman unaccountably suspicious towards all Europeans there, but he openly regards the contribution paid to him by the Anglo-Indian Government us a subsidy f.>r defending English territories from Ru6sian attacks, arid considers himself entitled at . any | moment to join hands wi'.h Russia— on condition, however, that the Tsar's representatives will p-y him well enough. Recent occurrences at Kabul give ripe to the fear that the Ameer will sooner or later provoke a conflict between Russia aud .Great Britain. Dissimilation is a marked trait in Abdurrahman's nature. He had foimed the intentiou of leaving Kabul for Masari-Oheriff, where he would be in a better position for communicating with the Russian Government. Hie little plan, however, was discovered in time. The discovery drove Abdurrahman into a state of fury, and, whei the journey had been alandoned, t( commit all sorts of excesses. & number of Afghans had talked at £ bazaar of his inten'ion to leave foi Masari-Oheriff., He ordered theset< be arrested nnd to have their tonguei cut out This did not completely satisfy hi bloodthirsty instincts At Kabul a' present, according to Russian accounts he is sanctioning a series of terribli murders, whioh confirm the impre3sioi that the Ameer has gone inßane, Thi last of the atrocities committed then had a high official f-ir its victim. Hi legs were bound to two stakes o wood, which were fixed crosswise on< upon the other, 't hen the woods wen drawn apart until his body was torn ii two. In addition to these atrocitie reports are re< eived of executions tak ing place every day. In consequence an enormous number of Afghans arb leaving. Kabul. They are seeking safety in the mountaiuous regions around or upon the Russian frontier. Laigely on Account of the disturbed . condition of thinos in Kabul, and in • older to stop incurious of Afghans ; into Russian territoiy, the Russian forces on the frontier are being s reng 1 ' thened considerably. All the actions i andplans of Abdurrahman are inexplicable, save on the theory that he is . growing hopelessly insane. Russia is i watching affairs in Afghanistan very closely, became gravo events are tabi ing place there, and because the health i of the Ameer, is growing worse and • worse, and his positioa more and more i insecure. i Inquiries were made at the London i office of the Afghani tan Government i with regard to the Rus ian story. Mi i Guthrie, besides being the accredited ; representative ,ot the Afghanistan i Government in England is a persona] > friend of the Ameer, whose guest he l was at Cabul f>r an expended period. ■ He had no hesitation in sayiuj that 1 there was absolutely no truth in the i statements. ¥.v Guthrie holds the 1 very strong belief that this is Russia's ' subtle way of interfering in the trouble 1 between Great Britain and the South African Republic. 1 P———- 1 " 1 111 n—nrrrm