THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AFGHANISTAN.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume L, Issue 12715, 29 January 1906, Page 4

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF AFGHANISTAN.

I Writing in lha "Deutsche 'Rundschau " ! for 'November on tlhe present and future significant of Afghanistan, Captain; P., Waitiher discusses the problem of- .the; defence iof India. Till about three yearsl ago, he .writes, the Russian^ dangeY in Central . Asia, was always .exßg-pted, iq.' tho South, but now the. position.;^ grse^ ;'■ ly changed. Instead of. advamoimgrt^buth-H wards, IRussia has been advaneirigin the 'East, and (England has utilised the op-

portunity to strength (her position in Central Asia. Before the outbreak of the Russo>-Japanese iWar she sought to establish sier prestige in Central Asia by the Tibetan campaign, and now telegraph dimes and railways tare 'being made between Beluehistan and Persia, there is a useless coimmerieial expedition with the reorganisation of the army in India. The grealt scheme .was to be crowned iwith a (close alliance with Afghanistan. Had {England's washes been fulfikd, and had tt/be Afghan army been trained by British, officers, India would have been secure on the North-West frontier without the aid of Japan. But that not being the caee, the Indian arany Is to 'be better trained and rendered 'better fitted for war. Considering iJne increase of .troops and war stores in the North, and in the South, tibe writer is full of admiration of the attitude of the Ameer, who lias been able ibitiherto to preserve his independence between two such Powers as England and Russia. In this Ihe has 'had ifche support of his people, Tv'ho hate foreigners and civilisation, and a fanatical" priesthood who guard with a jealous eye the independence of their country and want nothing with railways and telegraphs.. Th© justification for this attitude of Afghanistan towards her neighbours is to 'be (found icfhiefly in her army, now an important factor to 'be reckoned with. The. father of the present Ameer once said that, wttiereyer Europeans . make railways tfoeii* aronies soon follow. That was the fate of h£e neighbours, and he had no desire to ishaire it. Whether his eon will succeed in preserving his independence as doubtful. As soon 'as England becomes more closely conneotted with. Afghanistan, thie role of the Ameer as ia ruler »fa small' usemi-barbarian people ■will 'be played out, at least so long as tihe Anglo-Japajnese Treaty lasitis. At any rate, England will idbontinue to strengthen (her iNortih-West frontieiis to tJhe utmost. Th© treaty,, however, places her: under a certain obligation to Japan.