The Struggle In Central Asia

The Anglo-Afglian war and the troubles apprehended with China possess more thaii a local significancei They are the preliminary steps leading up to a great conflict that nmst sornc day agitate Central Asia - the strife of giánts for possession. Ko one now living may see the strnggle, but it is manifestly destined to come, sooner or later. The attack npon the Ameer and the mutteringa of the Chinese are only signs that Bussia, through the natural action of growth, is reaching points that tliroaten encroaclmient upon India and China. It is an invariable rule that nations grow and expand in the direction of least resistance. This vast empire of Eussia, with its wonderfnl facility for absorbing and governing Eastern nations and impressing them with the j fear of its strength, eannot eitend any further to the west. Against growth in that direction there is the impenetrable barrier of Germany and Austria. She cam;ot expand in a southerly direction without a fierce resistance, and dangerous complications with the great powers ; and, even with every obstaele removed, the territory itself is too small to answer the demands of its growth. Having obtained a foothold in Asia Minor as part indemnity for the expenses of the late war, she may, and probably will, increase in that direction ; but it is evident that the main line of her expansión must run due east through the vast plains of Chinese Tartary, embracing hundreds of millions of square miles of fertile territory. The advance guard of her armies and politicians have aheady readied the "Western liinits, and are pressiug down upon Persia, Afghanistan, and the western Chinese boundary; while op the Pacific coast her traders, coming down from the Nortli, are already trespas.sing upon the rich provinces of i Chinese Tartary. This growtli cancot be stopped excêpt by the extinction of Itussia. It will move on with the steady progress atid resitless power of the rising tide. Barriera may be built to stop it, but it will either overflow and swoep them away, or, if they prove too strong for that. it will trend in o Uier dii-ectionswheretlieresistanceisweaker. If the new barriers England is now j seeking to erect on her northwestern ! frontier prove impassable, the tide will turn due east and sweep on where the TfsriKt.anne is less. namelv, over Cnina. -