The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-08-26

labs, or priests. The invitation to the
refugees to come back did not arise from
any impulse Of generosity; IL arose from
pride, anda willingness to appear indulgent
TO those who have become helpless and inn
potent. While. however, the influence OF
tribal leaders ID vanishing, the power OF
the Amer himself IL in the curse Of trans
ference to the officials. He il tending to
become tho h~gurehead OF an autocratio
bureaucracy. There 10 not, II seems, among
any class Of Afghans the feeling of reverence
for the throne which exists In Turkey or In
Persia. The Ameer ia simply the highest
Official Of q tribe that has seized power;
and ~Afghanistan Is evolving, as we have
said. q bureaucratic government prao-
tically swayed ~ the influence Of priests,
whose policy will not always be measured
by the secular interests Of the country.
. What 10 the actual relation, as defined by
treaties. Of Afshanistan to British India'
We Observe in the first place that In the
latest treaty, that negotiated by Sir Louis
W. Dane, representing the Calcutta Gov
eminent, the Anseer Habib Ullah is adj
dressed for the first time al the "Independ-
emit King OF, the State Of Afghanistan and
It's Dependencies" and lie referred to as
"his Majesty In the course of the doou-
ment. Not only by inference from this
title, but specifically, the Ameer's kingdom
is acknowledged to be an independent
government within certain limitat ions.
No Power has any right to interfere In Its
administration, although, obviously, GER
tain contingencies might alter it's position
In this respect. In the meantime the Kabul
Government owes no national debt, nor any
war indemnity. The Ameer is not ham
pered by any "capitulation' or regime Of
exterritoriality. He has no foreign AM
bassadors In his capital, although the abb
enc OF them Is rather a grievance than a
pleasure to him, because he Is anxious to
vaunt his independence before the courts
OF Europe. The relations between Great
Britain and Afghanistan as they stand
to-day are fixed by treaty. Not only does
the British Government, as we have said,
recognize the Independence OF the Ameer's
dominions, but it accepts responsibility
for their safety and territorial integrity
against unprovoked aggression 80 long as
the Ameer does not act against the advice
Of. the British Government in matters az
fecting his, relations with other countries.
Moreover, Great Britain pays the Ameer
eighteen laths OF rupees as ar annual
subsidy by virtue Of Sir Mortimer Durand's
treaty with the Ameer Abdur Rahman,
dated 1893, and confirmed by the Dane
treaty with the present ruler, signed in
1905. In addition Great Britain permits
~Afghanistan to use that very subsidy for
the purpose Of importing from any quarter
without restriction supplies Of war ma
terials. The Ameer In also at liberty to
maintain a political agent at the court OF
the viceroy Of India. In return for these
CONCESSIONS on the part OF the British Gov
eminent the Afghan sovereign is bound,
by his word and by his treaties, to be the
friend and the ally Of Great Britain; he
pledges himself not to communicate with
any foreign Power without first consulting
with the Indian Government, and to accept
at Kabul for q definite term a British agent,
who must always, however. be a Moham-
medan subject and provided solely with a
native staff.
There Is no doubt that the British agent
at Kabul holds an absolutely thankless and
almost useless position. He is Stunned by
Europeans in. order that they may avoid
giving rise to political suspicious. and he
may see the Ameer only in the public
durbars or by special appointment. To all
intents and purposes he Is a prisoner, since,
although received in durbar, he does not
visit any one and seldom ventures into the
streets. No Afghan is allowed to enter the
British agency. and il a European were
seen speaking to the British agent or to
any one attached to his staff he would be
packed OF at once to the frontier. Even
to be found near the building causes sus-
picion. British political agents at Kabul
are appointed by the Indian Foreign Office,
which forwards to the Ameer for his APP
prevail the names Of a few Mohammedan
officials. One OF these candidates is Sc
lected by the Afghan ruler. and the term
Of Office is from three to five years. II the
British agent or any member Of his staff
has a dispute with subjects Of the Ameer,
such cases are usually decided by the Kabul
tribunals. The services and duties of the
Ameer's political agent at the court of the
viceroy Of India are nearly the same as
those Of the British agent at Kabul, except
that the term Of his office is not limited
and depends entirely on the pleasure Of his
sovereign.