Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTISER WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1885. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1162, 15 July 1885, Page 2

Tuapeka Times AND GOLDFIELDS REPORTER AND ADVERTI S ER WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 1885. "MEASURES, NOT MEN."

The Anglo-Russian difficulty, which appears to hayejbeen , ,held jn abeyance in JJngfand' owing to the attention 0$ statesmen being pre-occjupied -with? the recent Ministerial crisis, has not quite dropped out of sight so far as "Russia is concerned. On the contrary, the> deeply-designing Muscovite is putting? forth supreme efforts to creep up with, an overwhelming armed force towards the Afghan frontier behind the shadow of the cloud which, in the meantime, overshadows the point at issue. Not a day . has been lost since the Gladstone Administration agreed to' cede Penj-cieh to Russia ; troops have been, and still continue to be, massed in Central Asia ; ; Penj-deb has been converted into a military camp, and road and bridge, construction has been pushed ahead ** towards the outposts with great rapidity. This massing of troops and general preparation on a tgigantic seale 1 is more than a mere military, demonstration to overawe the wild Turkomans in the vicinity of Penj-dehj and England would be wise to prepare for any contingencies that may arise. Already alarm is manifested iv military circles at Home, where it is confidently! asserted that we are not off with Russia yet, by a long',way. The latest and most startling piece of intelligence is that Russia is putting forth claims to territory lying at the foot of the Hindu Kush mountains in Afghanistan. This is a bold' claim to put' forth ; and one that might well stagger Abdur Rahman if persisted in. By grasping such a scope of territory, the Russian difficulty would be advanced to within easy striding distance of Kabul, , the .capital of Afghanistan, beyond which the way is short through the Kyber Pass to India. If this is not a stray rumor, the Home Government might well feel apprehensive for the continuance of peae?, and have grave doubts as to the benignant intentions of Russia. To him who will look the matter fairly in the face, there will- be seen one of two alternativesj 1-^1 -^ viz., either England must abandon Afghanistan and fall back upon her own Endian frontier, or assume an attitude on the Afghan-Russian frontier that will compel the Russians to halt or declare war with England. These are the only two alternatives which present themselves at" present j and the final issue, in a great measure, depends upon the firmness with which England shows her hand. If Russian aggression is permitted to go on unchecked very .much, further, England will be compelled to • accept the 'struggle on inferior vantage ground. „I£ unmolested in her policy of annexation for a short time longer, Russia will have the ball at her feet,' and will be in a position to force Eng-. land to fight her under serious disadvantages, Now, we believe, is the time for England to act a decisive part, and to display a firm attitude ; for grapple! with the greedy hydra she must, either diplomatically or vi et armis.