If the Times may be trusted—and the Times ought to
know the innermost secrets of this Ministry—the Government intends to minimise its operations on the frontier to the utmost, and hold only the Khyber Pass, the Koorum Valley, and Quetta, surrender- ing apparently even Jellalabad. The precise effect of that policy may be studied in Sir Henry Norman's masterly paper in the Fortnightly, from which we make quotations elsewhere. The possession of the Passes will not protect us in the least against Russia, or enable us to advance into Afghanistan more easily than we can now, but the new duty will occupy about 8,000 soldiers, whom, whatever the occurrences in their rear, we must invariably support. They will not lack occupation, for the tribesmen will consider their presence a standing menace and intrusion, and will attack them whenever they have a chance, and shoot down stragglers always. The new possession, in fact, will bring us nothing but a series of little wars, with no glory, great suffering among the troops from pulmonary disease mid exposure, and much expenditure.
