§ MR. ASHMEAD-BARTLETTasked the Under Secretary of State for India, Whether the Government have received any information regarding the movements of an alleged Russian Agent in Afghanistan, who is described in the "Standard" of Saturday as
having credentials from the Russian Government, and as having been very kindly received by the present Governor of Kabul, and as having informed the Governor that Russia has for the last four years been contemplating an advance on Hindustan,' and that he himself believes a regular move in that direction will be made within the next two years;and also thatRussia has sent a number of spies to investigate the best routes and seasons for such an advance;whether he will lay before Parliament the Reports of the Agents of the Indian Government in Afghanistan for the past ten years; and, whether he can state the present position of the advanced guard of the Russian forces north-west of Herat?
§ MR. J. K. CROSSThe India Office has no information which enables me to confirm the statements in The Standard referred to in the first Question of the hon. Member for Eye. As to the second Question, I must very respectfully decline to present to Parliament the confidential Reports of our Agents in Afghanistan. I cannot state the present position of the Russian Forces northwest of Herat; but I have no reason to believe that there are any Russian troops stationed beyond the line of the Frontier fixed by the Russo-Persian Treaty of December, 1881.