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

s0e@oSs 0sA-s
about TIN city ia decayed and deorepit.
II 10 still famous, nevertheless, for its
fruit and Its breed OF horses. 40 regards
future military Developments on the western
frontier Of ASghapistan, Horat, which 10 the
~imfhedlatS sdbjecliSef Of Russia, he's also
been for many years the pivot OF the Cal
'oatsA Governments TRANSFORMER policy.
Being only eighteen hours by train from
Merry. II would not DO long after the out
break OF hostilities before q Russian ex-
p~editionary column would be before its
walls.
,a,,a ass ,.t III. t- -.
= It is we'll known that Kandahar was for
o time In British eyes the coveted objective
which Herat has long been, and still 10, Tor
Russia, From Herat there are two great
roads to Kandahar, a northern and a south
ern, Of which the latter IL $40 miles mi
It runs through districts rich In food sup
plies. 1t passes through two towns. Sad
zawar and Farah, which are ~strategically
important, but are Ill fortified. Between
Farah and Kandahar stretches for some
distance the Bakwa plain, which In the
minds Of Afghans Is associated with a ira
dition that Identifies 1t with the scene OF
some future battle between the Russian
and British forces. According TO Col.
Yatesthe tradition Is traceable to q proph-
ecy attributed to q native Of Kuchan,
who died in A. D, 400 at the age OF T,
after attaining considerable reputation az
an author and sage. Before reachinS
Kandahar, however, the traveller has to
cross the Helmund River, on the right bank
Of which stands the fort Of Girishk, once
reputed formidable. but now. according to
our author, of no military value. Midway
in the seventy-fve miles between Girishk
and Kandahar is Maiwand, memorable for
one OF the fngiorious reyerses which British
arms have experisnced Ia Afghanistan,
namely, the defeat of Gen. Burrows at the
hands of Ayub Khan in 1880. on the po-
litical and military schemes In which Kan
dahar itself has fgured.cnono is here pro-
nounced more Ill conceived than the plan
of uniting Quetta the we'll known Beiuoh
station ON tie faiHaySruhning from British
India through northeastern Beluohistan
to the Afghan frontier)' with Kushk, the
terminus OF the Russian railway
running south-southward From Merry. by a
trJans-Afghan railway via Kandahar and
Herat. According to the author OF this
volume no practical end would be served
by such, a hhe and on broad grounds OF
international policy nothing could justify
its construction. Mr.. Hamilton shares the
conviction Of those Anglo-Indians who
hold that Britain should always be mis-
Of Russian designs in Central Asia.
He submits that II Kandahar Is TO be con-
cerned In any railway at all It should be
with an extension thither Of the Beluchistan
line from New Chaman, the present ter
minus.
Kandahar, which Is 1875 miles from Quetta
and only sixty-ive miles from the railway
terminus at New Chaman. is the last place
whore an army advancing from Herat
toward the Indus would halt. 1t is situated
between the Argand and Karnack rivers,
on a level and highly cultivated plain,
which is well peopled OF the south and west.
In shape the city is an irregular parallelo-
gram. which has a circuit Of three miles
The population Of Afghan cities has always
fluctuated, and Kandahar. moe supposed
to have 100 900 in~habitantss now contains
only half as many. Nevertheless, the
own is by far the most important trade
centre in A~fghanistan, the customs and
dues together equalling the land rev-
enues OF the rest OF the province. 1t Is
interesting to learn that Hindus are al
ready the most numerous as we'll as the
richest merchants in the town. There was
here formerly q profitable traffic In slaves,
but In 1895 slavery was abolished by the
Ameer Abdur Rahman, the Russian and
Indian Governments cooperating to our
the edict. The climate Of Handahar is
pleasant in the winter, but h spring is
the ~favorite season. In the three winter
months Of December, January and Febru-
Yrosts are severe n storms OF sleet
and snow are frequent. We add that
while KaadahaF. occupies u position OF
singular value from a strategic point Of
view it's present dsfences leave much to be
desired. That is q defect which quickly
could be cured by modern military engi-
neers.
The road from Kandahar to Kabul rum
in a northeasterly direction and covers a
distance of BIS miles. The two intervening
points OF importance are Kelat-i-Ghilzai,
miles northeast Of Kandahar,
and Ghazni, seventy-eight miles south
west OF Kabul. There is no town at Kelat,
but there are two small walled villages
near the fort, which stands upon an Isolated
plateau, in places very steep. At present
the 'defences have suffered from neglect
and there are points in the immediate vi
cinity which command 1t. OF much more
importance is Ghazni, which ~strategioally
would have to be the pivot OF any line Of
operations against an enemy advancing
from the west or north. The possession
of it.w Guild place an army astride Of one Of
the most necessary channels Of oommunioa-
The town itself is surrounded by q
high wall Of stone and brick masonry,
built upon the top Of q mound. 1t Is domi-
mated completely by a citadel which lies
$50 feet above the plain. The citadel, how
ever, has no other strength than that
afforded by its lofty site and formidable
slopes. 1t Is itself commanded by hills
to the north. The number Of inhabitants
ranges from 5000 to 5000.
Kabul, the Afghan capital, Is situated at
the western extremity Of q spacious plain
In an angle formed by the approach OF two
converging, heights, the Asmai and the
Shere Darwasa, with which q third height,
the pakht-i-shah, ia Joined by a narrow
ridge seven miles above the confluence
OF the Logar and Kabul rivers. In eleva-
ton these hills are respectively o,790, 7,1o6