Show TIlE THEATRE OF WAR Notes of the Natives the Climate and the Situation off Afghanistan Afghan-istan Now that the war between Russia and England seems to be probable and that Afghanistan is likely to become the field of conflict and the prize of victory all intelligent in-telligent persons will desire to be advised concerning theatre of the War and the causes which have provoked it Where the sympathies of the American will rpqt and where they ought to rest will depend de-pend and ought to depend as between Russia and England upon which is nearest near-est right This is always a difficult ques tion to determine where both are wrong Using the formula of our school days we may say Afghanistan is bounded on the north by Russia on the east by India on the south by Belloochistan and on the west by Persia Its principal cities are Kabulthe capital Ghanzi Kandahar and Herat It is about 600 miles in ex tent from east to west and 450 miles from north to south The Oxus the Helmand and the Kabul are the principal rivers and neither is navigable The climate is variable and not severely cold or hot I I Silver lead sulphur and nitre are the principal minerals Wheat rice corn melons sugarcane madder and tobacco are among the principal agricultural pro ducts j grapes are grown extensively The streams abound in fish The camel is robust and twohumped the cows are also humped Horses sheep and goats abound Most of the transportation without navigable rivers or improved roads is done with camels A large rafiic exists in dried fruits The country is divided among about twelve great clans The population is in round numbers num-bers 5000000 and in government and general manners resemble other Mohammedan Moham-medan nations As a race TilE MALE AFGHANS ARE HANDSOME AND ATHLETIC With fair complexions flowing black or brown beards with highly aquiline features fea-tures hair shaved from the top of the forehead to the top of the head the remainder re-mainder from the sides allowed to flow in ringlets over the shoulders Their step is resolute their bearing proud and rough The women are of Jewish cast fair complexion com-plexion sometimes rosy though usually a pale sallow hair braided and plaited behind in two long tresses terminating in silken tassels The Afghans are bold warlike turbulent unsubmissive to law or discipline unscrupulous vain tiach erous and passionate They are cruel and quarrelsome and if we may estimate their character as described by the Eng ish under manners apparently frank openhearted and hospitable they are crafty and treacherous of independent and martial spirit and fond of field sports The Afghans are passionately j fond of field sports such as hawking deerstalking stalking wildfowl shooting are capital lor semen and unerring marksmen with 1 the rifle all of which characteristics habit and accomplishments 4 indicate the I possession of qualities out of which good soldters if properly armed and officered I and formidable armiesif money be providedare easily improvised Afghan is i pow tinder one prince the Ameer Abdurahman < whose government more that of a dictator than a king THIS AMEER IS THE CREATION OF ENGLAND And by virtue of that creation he is supposed sup-posed to be with the Afghan forces a reliable alley of England Yet it maybe I may-be an open question whether the Afghans would not prefer the ascendancy of Russia Rus-sia if compelled to submit to either and whether if allowed their way they would not prefer to acknowledge the leadership II of Ay ob Khan their former Ameer and Englands implacable foe he is just at present a pensioner of England and a prisoner in the hands of the Shah of Persia who is also looked upon as under the diplomatic influence of England It may be found that the Afghans will prefer pre-fer the encroachments of Russia rather L than to be brought as they meviiaoiy will be under the dominion of England if she be the victor in this struggle they may play treacherous part toward their present allies Whatever may be the resutt of this war Afghanistan is doomed to come under the dominion of England or Russia It is the necessity of Russias expanding empire that she should find access to southern seas That as the result re-sult of this war she will plant her standard stand-ard at Herat we believe Whether victorious I vic-torious or defeated the southern boundary i of Russia will be more southern and fixed i In time the ultimate purpose of a south the ern border upon the Mediterranean Persian Gulf or Indian Ocean will be accomplished ONE HUNDRED MILLIONS OF A HARDY RACE Can not be much longer confined within the boundaries of Arctic seas nor prevented pre-vented from carrying themselves southward south-ward by the feeble barriers of Oriental nations Turkey Persia Afghanistan or India unaided by the stronger governments govern-ments of Europe would be passed over by the warlike Russians almost without resistance How much further England will be able to push her Asiatic conquests in the direction of Tliibetor Turkistan may be doubtful j how much longer she may be able to hold her conquests in Northern India if its Mohammedan neighbors shall be incited to war maybe may-be equally doubtful Whether in the event of a RussianEnglish war growing out of the present confliction the Afghans Af-ghans may prove reliable allies to England Eng-land is also doubtful The struggle of course will be a serious one for IT IS A CONTEST BETWEEN GIANTS In this age of war and improved engines en-gines of war when two of the mightiest I powers of earth engage in a conflict wherein their pride is involved the struggle will probably be a long and bitter bit-ter one Russia with her vast armies fights upon her own border Her resources re-sources of men are inexhaustible j her credit will command everything that her own empire will not produce and within her broad boundaries there is nothing that the government may not command England in point of her soldiers valor and knowledge of the art of war stands I first among the nations of the world HER NAVY IS FIRST AND STRONGEST I On anv sea j her credit and financial resources inexhaustible sources are practically I and when the war is ended she will charge its cost upon the Indian budget for protecting its boundary What other nations may become involved in this struggle or what may be the outcome of I it it is impossible to cOQjectqreSau I Francisco Argonaut |