si ans ▁wished ▁to ▁stop ▁British ▁occupation ▁of ▁Her at , ▁so ▁Dur and ▁was ▁des patch ed ▁to ▁prevent ▁" the ▁stra ined ▁relations ▁which ▁then ▁existed ▁between ▁Russia ▁and ▁ourselves , ▁wrote ▁the ▁Vic ero y , ▁Lord ▁D uffer in , ▁might ▁in ▁itself ▁have ▁proved ▁the ▁occasion ▁of ▁a ▁long ▁miser able ▁war ." ▁ ▁T ensions ▁at ▁home ▁in ▁British ▁newsp apers ▁height ened ▁the ▁ur gency ▁of ▁the ▁incident , ▁threaten ing ▁war ▁in ▁Central ▁Asia , ▁which ▁Rah man ▁was ▁des perate ▁to ▁avoid . ▁ ▁A ▁tele phone ▁line ▁was ▁kept ▁open ▁between ▁Lord ▁Gran ville ▁and ▁Count ▁G iers ▁in ▁St ▁Petersburg . ▁▁ ▁Sir ▁Mort imer ▁was ▁deput ed ▁to ▁Kab ul ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁British ▁India ▁for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁sett ling ▁an ▁exchange ▁of ▁territory ▁required ▁by ▁the ▁dem arc ation ▁of ▁the ▁J oint ▁B ound ary ▁Commission ▁between ▁n ort he astern ▁Afghan istan ▁and ▁the ▁Russian ▁poss essions ▁along ▁the ▁same ▁lines ▁as ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 , ▁except ▁for ▁the ▁south ward ▁sal ient ▁at ▁P and je h . ▁ ▁The ▁British ▁made ▁it ▁clear ▁that ▁any ▁further ▁extension ▁towards ▁Her at ▁would ▁be ▁am oun ▁to ▁a ▁declaration ▁of ▁war . ▁ ▁Rah man ▁showed ▁his ▁usual ▁ability ▁in ▁diplom atic ▁argument , ▁his ▁ten acity ▁where ▁his ▁own ▁views ▁or ▁claims ▁were ▁in ▁debate , ▁with ▁a ▁sure ▁underlying ▁insight ▁into ▁the ▁real ▁situation . ▁ ▁A ▁Royal ▁Commission ▁was ▁established