All's well that ends well; but if Britain had failed to decisively defeat the Dervishes at Omdurman just when she did, that failure, coupled with the simultaneous loss of prestige in China, might have done the nation serious harm and made its rivals more insolent. The moral to be deduced is that, while the old country can still fight with material weapons, she cannot cope with the wily diplomatists of continental Europe.
It is good sometimes to see ourselves as others see us; hence the comments of Professor Vambery on current events affecting Britain in the Far East are deserving of serious consideration. We can afford to smile at the Anglo-phobist journals and politicians of Paris; but M. Vambery is one who has ever had friendly learnings towards England, and his pro-British sympathies have always been most pronounced. Hence, when he criticizes British methods, he claims to be heard with respect.
Writing in "Cosmopolis," M. Vambery declares that in the diplomatic struggle in China Britain has lost all along the line, while in other regions of Asia outside of India Russia has slowly but surely undermined her influence. In China, M. Vambery declares, Russian diplomacy has beaten England; the sympathy of the Turks is lost of good; in Persia the Russians are permitted to exercise full sway; the friendship of Afghanistan cannot be trusted; and the tribes on the North-West Frontier of India are England's enemies. On the other hand, the Russians are on good terms with nearly every Asiatic race, and hey lay themselves out especially to preserve this friendliness. M. Vambery is of opinion that Russian has played her game so well that if Britain desires to win she must make use of Russian methods.
The principal conclusions drawn by M. Vambery from recent event are that Britain must improve her diplomatic service and very largely increase her military strength. At present the fighting force is inadequate to the need of the vast colonial empire, and Britain's naval supremacy is of little or no help to her in this regard. She is confronted with the rivalry of nations essentially military in their systems, with conscriptions and compulsory service and vast reserves. Against this Britain offers the counterpoise of the smallest army among the great European Powers, and her naval supremacy. In actual war the naval supremacy might tell, for England possesses "the gates of the world" in a complete chain of coaling ports; but Russia, Germany, and France are able in peace to sway the Asiatic mind by a much greater display of force than England can or will show.
Read on ...
From a 19th century newspaper
Vambery on England in the Orient 1
Vambery on England in the Orient 2
Vambery - Travels in Central Asia
Travels in Central Asia, by Arminius Vambery
Vambery and Count Dracula
Japanese priest crosses desert to Tibet
Vambery - Sketches of Central Asia
The Imperial Family of Russia
An American in Turkistan
Global Disarmament - Russia and America
World disasters - The year of 1898
First Japanese Buddhist Temple in America
World Disasters Report 2002
The Expulsion of Count Tolstoi
General Sir Archibald Hunter
Russian names in English
Tibet, Tartary and Mongolia
Japanese priest crosses desert to Tibet
