If we can trust the reports in Thursday's papers, the
Russo. Afghan line of delimitation is at length agreed upon. Afghanistan restores to the Saryk Turcomans certain aide valleys radiating from Penjdeh, while Russia acknowledges the Afghan claim to Chamiab and Khojah Saleh. Martichak remains with Afghanistan. The comment of the Pall Mall is very characteristic :---" No frontier is worth more than a spider's thread unless the man who crosses it without leave is liable to instant arrest and, if needs be, to instant death. Russiawards the new line may be fire-fringed and fatal. Afghanwards it is no such thing. Russia, therefore, will cross the new frontier when occasion arises, and this is of necessity in the case of all frontiers, until on the other side the advancing European finds another European ready to do justice and maintain order." That means that Russia will be quite right in violating the Afghan boundary till she reaches the British frontier. And then, —why then, if we may judge by the past,—she will probably be sustained by the Pall Mall in violating that frontier too.
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