Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-01-08


Is Warned That He Enters at His
Own Individual Responsibility Be-
nief,ted Country Where Christianity
Is Punishable by Death.
A report on industrial and living con-
ditions in Afghanistan. which a Chris
tian enters on pain of death, has been
made to the department of commerce
by United States Consul Henry D.
Baker, on special commercial service
in the far east.
Mr. Baker calls Afghanist6n the
buffer state between British India and
the Russian possessions in Asia. 1t
has an area of 100000 square miles
and a population estimated at 5.000,-
600, though no census has ever been,
taken. Its inhabitants are without ex-
ception MOhammedans. and. save only
Tibet. 1t Is the largest closed country
In the world, presenting the auach-
r0nism of nation in the twentieth
century which forbids the entrance
into it's territory of the foreign mis-
sionaries either of religion or COM
merce, as well as making the profess
sion Of Christianity among It's subjects
punishable by death.
''If any person particularly wishes
10 visit Afghanistan he can get into
the country only by interesting the
ameer personally in the object of his
visit. which, however, it may be found
very difficult to do" Mr.. Baker says.
"NO commercial traveller can get into
Afghanistan unless the ameer might
be induced to take an interest in his
particular line Of business. Even then
it would not be found convenient or
advantageous to undertake trip into
Afghanistan unless the ameer would
personally guarantee ones comfort
and safety and provide military es-
cort to Kabul or Kandahar or wher-
ever else. it was desired to CO.
MUST Go at Own Risk.
"After application has been made to
the ameer for permit. or firmaa, to
visit Afghanistan-and by having ad-
vanced some particularly potent argu-
ment tie firman may perhaps be grant
ed-the deputy secretary to the gov
ernment of India in the foreign depart
ment if he deems it wise. will then
grant permission TO cross the frontier,
at the travellers own risk.
.g"A regulation letter granting such
permission to representative Of a
business ho,ase in Bombay. of which
have a copy. reads as follows.
With reference to your letter dated -.
am directed to inform you that the hon
orable the chief commissioner and agent
to the governor general in the northwest
frontier province is being dfreated to allow
MT. - of your firm to cross. the frontier,
subject to the production by hirn Of his
majesty the ameer's firman and the polit-
icaf agent in the Khyber pass being sat-
isffed that the Afghan government has !
made arrangements foe Mr. -As escort
and transport
am to add that the, government of In-
ala accepts no responsibility whatever in i
connection with the objaet OF Mr. rs
Journey to or stay in, Afghanistan and !.
thst he proceeds there at his own risk
Few Foreigners, There.
About the only instances in which,
Europeans or Americans have ever
been allowed to travel into Afghanis.
tan is when machinery or other arti-
cies have been required by the ameer to
his government or special medical as
sistanee neededs at the court. Atrpres-
ent there are understood to be six Eu-
ropeans and two Americans residing in
the country
Mr.. Baker refers to the late DR.. T.
L. Penneli. an English medical mis-
sionary, as having been the best au-
thority on the frontier tribessnen OF
Afghanistan. He gained their conf
dence and esteem after years Of effort,
but the relations between the. frontiers
men and the English generally are Tar.
from cordial