The sun., 1902-02-08
MrD.AsIAN foLITIcs.
Afshs nistsn's New Ameer Presents Bold
Front 10 the British--His General Policy

AfGhs nistan's New Ameer Presents Hold
Front 10 the British-His General Policy
The new Ameer Of Afghanistan, Habibul-
lah Khan. appears to be a masteriui SPIRIT
II he may be judged by his reply 10 the
Mohammedan deputation sent by the vice.
roy OF India, Lord Curzon, to congratu-
late him on his accession to the Afghan
throne. II lacked nothing In directness
or clearness OF expression. He assured
Lord Curzon that he meant to follow In the
footsteps OF his father in all his relations
with the British Government. and on no
account would he permit the extension OF
railways or telegraphs from India into his
territories, or admit a European British
agent to his capital. He declared that he
would guard the interests OF the country
against foreign aggression and permit no
violation OF It's settled boundaries. Mis-
sionaries would not be allowed to enter the
country nor would English education nor
English trade be permitted, but public
schools would be opened in all parts Of the
country for the teaching OF the Arabic and
Persian languages; and generally he caused
II TO be understood that so far as it lay in
his power he would follow a policy OF
Afghanistan for the Afghans.
Confident apparently in the strength OF
his position. he has invited most Of those
who were eIiled for various reasons dur
ing his fathers lifetime TO return TO the
country, and numbers have availed them
selves Of the offer. He appears also anxious
TO attract TO himself those tribes outside
his boundaries which inhabit the country
between them and the British Indian terri
tory proper which has recently been con-
stituted a separate Jurisdiction by the
British Government. With this object in
In view, according to the most recent in
formation from India, he sent hand
somely caparisoned elephant as present
TO the celebrated Hadda Mullah, who has
on different occasions given the British
trouble, and invited him TO come TO Kabul.
The Chief Mullah of Tirah, Said Akbar,
had been sent by the head men OF the tribes
with an escort OF hundred men TO visit
the Ameer; and the Mshsud Wagiris, whose
territory is blockaded and was recently
| raded by several British columns, had
| sent a deputaton to Kabul.
In the early part Of last month informa-
| ton was received at Kabtll that Ishak Khan,
| one Of the pretenders TO the Afghan throne,
who was driven out Of the country by the
| late Ameer, was moving with view 10 raise
a revolt against his successor Habibullah.
! The Russian authorities, however, to whom
he applied for arms and money, refused his
| request, but minated that they would put
no obstacles in the way OF his going back
10 Afghanistan il he wished to. This
damped Ishak's hopes but his son, who is
reputed TO be more OF a warrior than his
father. was reported to be trying TO obtain
the cooperation OF an old adherent of Shere
Ali, Gen. Gholam Haidur Verdak, who is at
present refugee in Bokhara. just now
| Habibullah has no anxiety on the subject
| as the Oxus is frozen and the mountain
| passes are closed. but lac Is preparing for
| eventualities when the SHOWS melt In March.
That the British Government looks for
complications in Afghanistan sooner or
later is evident from the fact that large
number Of Maxim guns have been sent TO
India for the new equipment OF the British
and native regiments there; and l0-pounder
mountains guns for sixteen batteries are
being manufactured and sent 10 India as
rapidly as they can be turned out. In
addition, some fifty of the native regiments
have already received the new magazine
rife with which II was decided last year.
after some hesit tation, TO arm them.
The opinion in India is that the recent
formation of mobile columns on the north
west frontier and the Organization of an
extensive field hospital service, has some
thing to do with troubles in the hill cOun-
try and perhaps in or With Afghanistan
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