GREAT BRITAIN, RUSSIA AND AFGHANISTAN.

Waikato Times, Volume XLII, Issue 3391, 24 March 1894, Page 12

GREAT BRITAIN, RUSSIA AND AFGHANISTAN.

'The British Government of India has .concluded a formal alliance with Afghanistan. Although Russia in not mentioned in the telegraphic news on the subject, there U not the leant doubt that this alliance his been made against ut« and not ••against France or China. This treaty N has Bng;been;recognised as a necessity by l&glish statesmen,* in consequence of the alarm caused by RustuYa new position in Turkestan. ■' Wo understand that Sir M. Burand's instructions included a proposal to extend the Quettah Railway as far a& Candahar, but we find no reference to fihism tho telegrams, and we presume tint Abdurrahman Khan, hs might be expected, refused to give his consent. "We have no doubt als? that the Pamirs farmed one of tho subjects of discussion, %ut nothing is ye 1 , known on that point. 1 In any case, tho results obtained, as far as we know them, are sufficiently impor:fcant, and English diplomacy in general ■mi Sir M. Durand in particular are to be congratulated. ' ■ At the durbar in Cabul, Abdurrahman 'Khan, who is indebted for his present -position to the mercy and favour of the .Russian Government, spoke of these re--ittlt6 in a tone of provocation such as he Iks never before used. Almost at tho same time the new Indian Viceroy de(glared at a banquet in London that he iaoked confidently forward to the future, •and with regard to geographical problems would use his own judgment rather than •flaee his faith in maps. If we couple with this the statement of Lord Roseber) .at the same dinner,,to the effect that he iiad no hepe of a sufficiently favourable iurn in the frontier questions concerning Threat Britain, France, and Russia, it must be concluded that th? position of affairs in our Mahomedan East is beginiiiiug to assume a threatening character. ' As the first effects of the new alliance, ■we luunt expect a considerable increase of the armed forces of Afghanistan and the establishment of fortified positions oh her (northern frontier. side by side «vith our possessions, will, gradually be created a Mahomedan State after the character of Turkey. Considering the .feebleness in political discipline of the .Afghan Government,, we ; may very soon •expect all manner of unpleasant conflicts iin our frontier; region, which police authority aloue will be unable to settle. "There is one consolation, however, which is that the.words of the Ameer and new '' Viceroy give us a sufficiently" free hand •for the future in solving various geo<« .graphical problems.