Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-01


Rahynan. and for several months there was
considerable anxiety as 40 what policy the
young man. Hsbi Buil9ih s1Shan. would
adopt. During the last yshree years of the
old mans life he yielded his powers very
largely to his son, and selected him twenty
wives from the twenty most influential
families In the Kingdom In order to
strengthen his throne. Although Habi Bull
father he has held his position without an
insurrection or a protest since October.
1901. and is no longer in danger of being
overthrow by one of the bloody conspira-
cies which have interiaced Afghanistan his
tory for the last two centuries.
The British are fortunate i'm having
yiceroy at this critical period who is per-
sonally acquainted with the young ameer
ard was a friend OF his father. When Lord
Curzon was a correspondent of the Lon
don Times, before he entered parliament,
he visited Kabul and formed pleasant rela-
tons with the late ameer who speaks of
him on most complimentary terms in his re-
Gently published memoirs. The old man
happened to die during the darkest period
of the South African war, and Russia took
occasion at that critical moment to demand
the right to enter into independent dipl0-
matte negotiations with Afghanistan for
the survey of a railroad across that coun-
try. Only a few years before Great Brit
ain fought a war with Afghanistan and
overthrow Shere Ali, the shah. because he
received Russian ambassador on SIM
liar errand, after having refused to allow
British envoy to reside at his court or
even enter his country. And there is no
telling what might have happened had not
Lord Curzon taken advantage of his per-
sonal relations and former friendship. Rus
sia selected significant date to make her
demands. It was only fortnight after the
British repulse at Spion Kop, and Lady
smith was in hopeless state of siege Such
situations have powerful influence upon
semi-civilized soldiers, who are invariably
inclined to be friendly to those who are sue
C0SSfuI at HnwpyQr Lord CurZOn
had influence enough to hold the ameer to
the British side, and the latter has ever
since shown friendly disposition to the
British and has given the Russians no pub
lie encouragement.
The Afghans have been watching with in
tense interest the demonstrations which the
Indian government is making in Thibet but
have not disclosed what they think about
1t. The result of the war between Russia
and Japan will also have a powerful eff
feet upon the situation. If Japan succeeds
In driving the Russians out Of Manchuria
It will be comparatively easy for the Brit
ish to strengthen their influence in Afghan
istan. but II the Russians are successful in
holding Manchuria against Japan, the inn
portance Of Afghanistan as buffer state
will be greatly enhanced and the Indian
government will be compelled to strengthen
Its fertilization at Khyber Pass.
Relations With Afghanistan.
The official report OF the viceroy to the
ering the ten years ending December 81,
1902, contains the following interesting
paragraph concerning the greatest source
of anxiety:
Relations with Afghanistan have been
peaceful throughout the decade. Although
there is reason to believe that Afghan in
huence among the turbulent tribes on the
northwestern frontier was at times the
cause Of rest1essness and disorder the Du-
rand agreement Of 1893, followed by the de-
marcation Of the southern and nearly all
the eastern Afghan boundary, set def
mite limit to the legitimate interference of
Afghanistan with the tribes included in the
British sphere of influence Under that
agreement the annual subsidy paid by the
British government tos the ameer was in
creased from $4,000 to ;ff29,0O0. A further
demarcation, which Affected alike Afghan
tstan and the British sphere, was that
which resulted from the Pamir agreement
concluded with Russia in 1885. Russia
agreed to accept the River Oxus her
southern boundary as far east as the Vic
toria lake. Thence to the Chinese frontier
line was fixed by demareation commits
sion. This arrangement involved an inter-
change of territories lying on the north
and south banks of the Oxus, respectively,
between Afghanistan and Bokhara, which
was carried out in 1885, The Ameer of At
ghanistan also undertook to conduct the
administration of Wakkhan, lying between
the new boundary and the Hindu Kush, in
return for an increase to his subsidy.
Under the strong rule of the late ameer
the country for the most part enjoyed in
ternal peace, but this was broken by the
revolt of the Hazaras in 1892. which was
severely suppressed. In 1896 Kafiris-
tan, a region which the delimitation in
cluded in the Afghan sphere of influence,
was subjugated Political relations of the
government of India with the late and
with the present ameer have been friendly,
and We're undisturbed by the murder of
the British agent at Kabul by one of his
servants in 1895, an incident which had no
political significance. In the year 1ss4-95
his highness sent his second son, Shahzada
Nasrulla Khan, to visit England as the
guest Of her majesty's government. The
Amur Abdur Rahman, G. c. B., died In Oc
tober, 1901, and was peacefully succeeded
by his eldest son, Habi Bullah Khan, g. c.
M G."