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384 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
imagination when one thinks that these two countries have
neither in Europe nor in Asia, in heaven nor on earth, a single
positive interest in common.
We need only think of India, the most precious jewel in
Great Britain’s crown. Of the possibility of a Russian in-
vasion of India Lord Curzon, the greatest and most clear-
sighted Viceroy India has ever had, has given utterance to
the following : "It would involve the most terrible and lin-
gering war that the world has ever seen ; and it could only be
effected by a loss, most unlikely to occur, and more serious in
its effects upon the human race than that of India itself,
namely, the loss of the fibre of the British people." Elsewhere,
when saying that India’s safety is Great Britain’s foremost
duty, he speaks as follows of a Russian attack on that country :
" It can only be prosecuted in the teeth of international
morality, in defiance of civilised opinion and with the ultimate
certainty of a war with this country that would ring from
pole to pole."
The Novoye Vretnya writes at about the same time (ist
December, 1888) :
" Our attention has been focussed on the
necessity of bringing Khorasan under Russia’s exclusive
influence, the more so as through Khorasan runs a convenient
road in the direction of Herat and in case of military operations
against India, Khorasan would therefore serve as a base of
supply for our further operations." Then we have Skobeleff’s
and Kuropatkin’s very detailed and minute plans for an in-
vasion of India. ^
Many years have elapsed since Lord Curzon thoroughly
and exhaustively, as usual, dealt with this question. But is
there anyone who believes that the danger is less serious now
that the Russians have been checked in the Far East by the
Japanese and in the Far West by Germany and Austria-Hun-
gary ? It is true that there is one other outlet in the west
—
a truth which the Swedes should bear in mind. But neverthe-
less the danger to India is far greater now than it was twenty-
five years ago.
It is therefore not a little peculiar to see Tommy Atkins
helping Ivan Ivanovitch with blood and iron, on land and
sea, to gain that power and strength which he needs for carry-
ing out an invasion of India. For England this world war is
1 Curzon: " Russia in Central Asia," 1889, and " Persia and the Persian
Question," 1892, Vol. II.
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