The St. Petersburg Gazette states that the British Govern- ment,
before terminating the independence of Afghanistan, must come to an arrangement with that of Russia, as the mili- tary occupation of the whole country would be a breach of the assurances given to that Power. It points out that if Afghani- stan is occupied, the "scientific frontier" is obliterated, and suggests that Russia and England should divide Afghanistan between them, thus destroying the intermediate zone, the cause of perpetual trouble between the two countries. The St. Petersburg Gazette is too much in a hurry. The Government, if we may judge from the line taken by the Times, intends to insist that some Ameer as yet unknown shall fulfil the Treaty of Gundamuck, and that an Envoy shall live in Cabul, whether his personal safety is endangered every now and then, or not. It has yet to learn by experience that this policy is impossible, and that it must either govern or retire; and when it has learned, it will probably retire from all but Candahar. Great Britain does not want to be burdened with Afghanistan up to the Hindoo Koosh, the only possible boundary-line.
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