THE AFGHAN FRONTIER.
[To THE EDITOR. OP THE " SPECTLTOH."1
Sin,—As an old reader of the Spectator, and a Liberal who quite agrees with your firm tone upon Indian questions, I wish that you could have been a little less warlike about the Afghan frontier. Of course we English must insist that Russia shall halt on the further side of Afghanistan Proper. But are wenot going rather too far in encouraging our Commissioners to fix upon a purely ideal boundary, where the Ameer's authority is so vague that these recent Muscovite encroachments have occurred without any collision between the parties, and without their even seeing each other ? It seems only too certain that our Commissioners have had to rouse the Afghans to assert their rights. Is this what Englishmen understand by the convenient phrase of "protecting our ally the Ameer "P Surely we had better let the frontier be more natural and less ideal. We find the Afghans real and patriotic enough in their way on our side of the hedge. Why should we risk a great war in order that Russia may not find the same on her side ?—I am, Sir, Temple, E.G., March 10th, 1885. HILARY SKINNER.
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