NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE newspapers of Thursday published a Renter's telegram from Simla, stating that the Ameer has forwarded to the Viceroy the text of Colonel Yanoff's letter to the Governor of Badakshan. Colonel Yanoff states that, hearing that about one thousand Afghans were at Somatash, he proceeded there with about a thousand of his troops, to make inquiries of the Afghan leader. The Afghan, however, refused to meet him amicably, "but approached at the head of his followers, who had their guns cocked. 'The Afghans,' continues the Russian commander, • used offensive language and violence, and I therefore ordered my men to disarm them.' The Afghans thereupon opened fire, and one Russian fell dead and two wounded. The Russians returned the fire, killing nine, in- cluding an officer, and wounding two. They also captured seven prisoners." The Ameer's account of the incident is practically identical, except that he represents the Russians as the aggressors. The Ameer, in forwarding the details, is said to have appealed to the Indian Government for aid against the Russians, who, according to the correspondent of the Times, have now two thousand regular troops and twelve guns, besides tribal levies in the .Alichur Pamir. The incident may pass off as a mere frontier squabble, or may assume grave proportions, according as it is managed or mismanaged by the Diplomatists, and according as the Russians desire or do not desire to raise the Central Asian Question. They will be much mistaken if they think Mr. Gladstone's Government will in the end give way. It is far more likely that, from fear of seeming too pacific, they will be more Jingo than Lord Salisbury would have been. These incidents all point to the desira- bility of a clear frontier line between Russia and Afghanistan on all sides. When once that is established, we shall know exactly how we stand.
