Show GLADSTONES POLICY The Jingo press and politicians of England Eng-land and their sympathizers in this country are condemning Gladstones policy in the Afghan affair His preparations prep-arations were for war although his desires de-sires were for peace In the preparations for war there was an energy displayed which astonished even the Tories the party that in war matters deems itself Trojans For some reason the majority of Englishmen have always thought I that all approaches to India by land or by sea no matter how far removed from the British Empire in the East were peculiarly pe-culiarly their own it making no difference what the people who owned those approaches ap-proaches thought and if they would not willingly place them under English control con-trol England where she could took the control The reason of Max Oliell that I England deems herself the inheritor of the earth is perhaps the true reason for her conduct in these matters On this theory of things she went to Cabul a great many years ago and when the Ameer would not do her bidding she deposed him It was necessary to do this said England to protect our possessions in India To recount the history of British intrigue in Afghanistan would be to recount the history of England in the East for half a century past The autonomy auton-omy of Afghanistan would be a protection for India but a complete autonomy England Eng-land was afraid of and insisted upon an agent being resident at Cabul to prevent the introduction of Russian influence there It succeeded so well that Major Cavagnari and his entire suite were murdered mur-dered in 1878 It proved that the Afghans Af-ghans were the natural allies of England and that Cabul and Candahar were the I places from which to defend Bombay and Calcutta Towards these bases of operation opera-tion and defense Russia has been I steadily advancing and in her j advance absorbing and assimilating assimilat-ing the various tribes and peoples of the different countries which she has occupied and attached She has made of them Russians Recently Russian and Afghan troops had a rencountre near Penjdeh in which the Afghans were routed As this was near the line of delimitation I de-limitation and as England was represented on the commission which was to determine deter-mine that line she felt that she had been outraged and insulted as well as having had possessions threatened I For this she must have an apology I I which was not given Sir Peter Lums den the British commissioner of delimitation delimi-tation was the one man more than all others who raised this cry for apology and danger ahead The immediate danger dan-ger was that Russia would seize and hold I Herat and from there make her advance to India at her leisure Sir Peter has got the idea that the British Empire is resting I rest-ing upon his shoulders and that his wis I dom and strength alone can save it from destruction The Government has informed the House that Russia and England have come to an agreement in regard to the points of difference between the two countries and it is agreed to submit sub-mit those differences to arbitration This is the crime charged against Gladstone and the Liberal Ministry They have I chosen to submit their differences to the arbitration of peace rather than to the arbitration of the sword The same charge of weakness and cowardice was brought against Gladstone in 1872 when he submitted the Alabama difficulty to arbitration and abided by the result of the Geneva award England did not suffer in prestige or otherwise by her course in that affair nor did the United States England is gradually coming to the conclusion con-clusion that it is on the frontier of India that India must be defended when assailed and not on the fartlierest frontier fron-tier of Afghanistan It is a correct conclusion con-clusion and one that if adopted and adhered to will save her much trouble and anxiety as well as men and means For this she will be indebted to the tame and vacilating policy of Mr Gladstone as it is termed by the rampant and warlike war-like Tories Mr Gladstone has dared to be an advocate of arbitration when his opponents wish war and because he does not heed their wishes he is termed a i coward |