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

occasions upon which the Amer OF Afghan
istan receives and speaks With Europeans
In an account Of one OF these receptions We
find q fret hand description Of the appear
anoe Of the present ruler. 'For his OFFICIAL
attire the Ameer has donned o black !rock
coat, with q single breasted waistooat, o
white shirt, and q pair Of light gray trousers
over patent leather boots. He wore q turn
down white collar and q stiff butterfly tic.
Whishit was the privilege Of the private score
tary TO adjust from time TO time. On his head
he wore q black astrakhan cap: tho left hand
was gloved with brown Kid, the glove for
the right hand being carried We are told
that his clothes were well out, and that he
ives very carefully groomed. Smaller In
stature than his father, to whom he bears
q marked facial resemblance, he has a no
lees dignifed attitude, although his manner
is much milder than that which distin-
guished the late Abdur Rahman. In talking
Habib Ullah suffers from q slight impeachment.
In speech. the result Of IN attempt made
against his life when he was o ohild.' 1t
seems that no Is Of q light complexion, that
his features are heavy, and that he wears
O slight beard and mustache. Broad and
rather olumsily built, he has q marked
tendency to stoutness. Neither In his face
nor In such evidence OF capacity as he has
shown does he reveal the truoulent ability
evinced by his immediate predecessor
after he had gained the throne OF Kabul.
It Is we'll known that Abdur Rhaman pos
sesaed not a little aptitude for intrigue. and
that his first bid for a~soendency In Afghan
istan was as q nominee of Gen. Kaufman,
the Russian Governor-Gene ra Of Turkes-
tan. After he had crossed the Afghan
border, however, and had arrived at
secret understanding with the Government
OF India about his elevation to the throne,
he posed as the champion OF his faith and
the liberator OF the land from all foreign
domination. According to the authorities
on which this book is founded, frankness
and self-reliance were the most prominent
characteristics Of Abdur .Rahman, oon-
adhered as q ruler. At the same time he
was q genial, strong, clever man OF the
world, we'll informed upon all subjects Of
general Interest, eloquent, resolute, logical
and endowed with a sense OF humor and
with facility in repartee. There is no
doubt that his rule presents an astonishing
record Of work done and progress made In
the short space OF twenty years. Although
he had to create the whole machinery OF
administration and could find but q few
subordinates who could carry out, or even
understand, his schemes for the ~civilizs-
ton and development OF his country, he
yet achieved a signal and brilliant success,
Leaving 1t to his successor to cement, or
wreck the structure which had been put
together with 40 much labor and care.
At the reception to which We have re-
ferred, We learn that Habib Ullah opened
q general conversation in Persian, that
tongue being the court vernacular. The
present Ameer, however, reads and speaks
English, as we'll as Arabic, Hindustani and
Persian, but considers the employment Of
the first named language ~undignifed. He
began, it seems, a conversation with a
graceful allusion to Lord Curzon, then
vioeroy Of India, and with a complimentary
allusion to Lord Kitchener, after which he
brought the talk closer to the desired SUBJ
ject OF discourse, likening Afghanistan to a
shield held at arms length against the
enemies Of the Anglo-Indian Empire. II
such q shield were thin as parchment he
said, "a child could teal 1t. But, II the
shield were thick and strong, II would re-
sist all attempts at fracture; and II Is my
object to make this shield strong-so strong
that 1t cannot be broken He added that
he would discuss further the means Of
strengthening the shield whom the mission
beaded by Sir Louis Dane should have
arrived. As a matter Of fact, nothing came
OF that mission 90 far as It's fundamental
purpose was concerned, for the Jane treaty,
signed on March Fl. 1905, simply renewed
the eng agements entered into between the
previous Ameer, Abdur Rahman, and the
Calcutta Government. The failure Of the
mission to secure q announcement Of a right
to an unrestricted importation Of arms
seems to nave been due to the opposition
OF the present rulers whole brother, Nasr
Ullah, the commander in chief OF the
Afghan army. Our authors deduction
from all the facts he has been able to gather
Is that Habib Ullah, in spite Of his amia-
bility, does not possess a very secure seat
upon the throne, the intrigues Of the Queen
Dowager, Bib Halima, and the Jealousy Of
his half brothers rendering his position
more or less preoarious. He has not gained,
we are told, the confidence Of his people,
or revealed sufficient strength Of character
to dominate the situation. He is weak
willed; his subservienoy to prieetly control
and to the influence Of bis brother. Nesr
Ullah, liz notorious.