New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-03-31
IN AFGHANISTAN.


That the Ameer should have delayed becoming
Mason until he visited India must not be
taken as indicating that Masonry is unknown in
Afghanistan. There. as elsewhere, il has many
adopts, and as far back as thirty years go there
were lodges in Cabul and in other of the Afghan
cities and towns. In fact AT the time of the de-
position OF Khedive Ismail an Afghan Mason
played so important a political role in Egypt
making use Of the lodges for purposes of propa-
ganda in favor OF Ismail against the foreign
powers, that at the request of the French Eng
fish and German ENJOYS at Cairo, he was eN-
PEELED from the land of the Nile. His name was
Djemal Khan. He held high rank IN Masonry.
afterward got himself expelled from France
when Gambetta Premier. sought refuge IN
Russia where he associated himself with the
late Maharajah Dhuleep Singh and was largely
responsible for the trouble given by the latter
TO the English government and finally wound
up his days at COnstantinople at the HildM
Kiosk, where he spent his declining years in the
encourage Of the present Sultan. There Is con-
siderable reason to believe that he was pTis-
oner rather than a guest of Abdul Hand. For
the latter entertains serious dread of the craft,
in which his elder brother and predecessor on
the throne Sultan Murad, was prominent.
Nurad. il may be remembered. was deposed
after six months reign, according to some
because his brain had become affected by
drink according TO others because. with his
ideas of progress and enlightenment which
included the emancipation and enfranchise-
ment of women, he was regarded as
danger by the ali powerful Moslcm uleufa, or
clergy. The so-called Young Turkey, or Reform
party, in the Ottoman Empire which includes
many princes Of the imperial house. are Masons
to man. and periodically in the lifetime Of
MuTad they would appeal 70 those foreign SOW
ereigns Identified with the craft. demanding Of
them in its name 10 intervene in behalf of their
Masonic brother ex-Sultan Murad, with the OBJ
ject of securing his liberation from captivity
and his restoration to his throne The last ap-
peal Of this kind addressed TO King Edward
about year after his accession TO the throne
one Of the reasons. too. why the late Prince
Hahn Of Egypt, far and away the most brilliant
and accomplished member OF the khedival fam
ily kept by the Sultan in quasi inprlson-
meat and under the closest kind Of Surveillance
in Constantinople for the last fifteen twenty
years Of his life was because Of the fact that he
held extremely high rank as a Mason and
suspected by the Padisha Of making use Of the
influence and power az such for political pur-
poses Ex-Sultan Murad and Prince Hahn
have both been gathered 20 their fathers. wheth-
or by natural causes or through violence no one
knows TO this day. But Sultan Abdul Hamid
sorry. convinced that as far "a his empire IS
concerned its activity is directed toward poti-
cal emancipation and reform, which. Of course
means the overthrow OF his rule.
Masonry in one word. fourishes throughout
the Orient. where 7 have stated above. II APP
peals TO the love OF The natives for secret sOce-
ties That this should be the case IS after all
not astonishing For if the traditions Of the
craft are To he believed. it came 10 originally
from the East. and to this day the Supreme
Council in most European countries is known
"the Grand Orient" EX-ATTACHE