War Broken Out.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1688, 13 April 1885, Page 2

War Broken Out.

Wab has broken out between the Eussian and Afghan forces, and a battle has been fought in which the Eussian forces have proved victorious. There is little doubt that the Eussian commander precipitated hostilities by making an attack on the Ameer’s forces, on the mere pretext that the latter had effected a change in their positions. England must now stand by the Ameer and defend the Afghanistan frontier as against Russia. All this points to a war between England and Russia as being almost inevitable. Until additional information is to hand by cable, further comment on the situation would be premature. The latest cable messages are to the effect that the British Government have insisted upon the withdrawal of the Russian forces to their former positions, while the Times and Standard declare that unless this demand is complied with, war will result. Meantime it is stated that 70,000 Russians are advancing from Askabad, while war preparations on the part of that Power are being vigorously prosecuted. It is very elear from all this that the recent attack on the Afghan forces by Russia was intended so to force on events as to render a war between that country and England a certainty.