El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-05-15

The sheep shown In the foreground
be the Curl Mir Bechet Of old Bokhara
city, said TO have been built by U1uk
Beks son Of the great Timurlane, the
famous Mongol conqueror. met these
pilgrims in the forbidden military zone
Of BOkhara on the northern border OF
Afghanistan. especially at Rerki, and
Tlsked my liberty to do So for abso-
lutely no foreigners are ever permitted
TO enter that section OF the country
and was warned by the Russian min
istry of foreign affairs at St Peters
burg and told plainly that imprison-
ment would await me If dared go TO
kushks kerki or Termez-
Foreigners Banned.
Foreigners who desire TO enter any
section Of west Turkestans Of which the
Khanate Of Bokhara is a part, are re-
qufred TO apply TO the Russian war
ministry for a special permit. Other
wise, the regular passport is not rec
OgnlZed and foreigners are turned back
long before they reach TashkenE The
granting OF these permits is always
made a difficult task and I have had
to wait for weeks in st. Petersburg
before dared leave the city for the
country OF the tanaCcal Sarts-
Even when one finally does secure a
permit, through the active Intersces-
sion Of the embassy, one finds. upon
arriving in Turkestan, that the pro
hibited military zone, vaguely defined
but covering the entire upper portion
Of the Piaudge and ANU Daria rivers
as far as KerHi, as Wen as that section
af Transcaspia which lies between
Takta Bazaar and Kushk along the
Murshab railway, is not open for entry
TO foreigners
Good Work Of CossaeIzs.
Some twenty years ago there was
the best Of reasons for that law, as it
was extremely dangerous for Euro
peans TO be anywhere near the border
o. Afghanistan, and TO a certain de-
gree that is true today. but because OF
the excellent work OF the Cossaeks
that are kept on tie border along prac-
ucally the entire course OF the ANU
Darla river, this obsolete law should
De done away with. as IL greatly re-
tarQs the development Of west Turkes-
Ians where there are millions Of acres
OF the best fertile land that with Ameri-
can ingenuity and capital could easily
be irrigated and enough produce could
be drawn from there to feed the world,
FOR Turkestan is one third as large as
all Of Europe.
Surgery Aida Journey.
What medicine had done for the
European physicians at the court OF
kabul, IL did for me at Earshi, Box
hara, town about eight DAYS camel
Journey from the border OF Afghanis-
tan. where I found the son Of the gov
ernor suffering from appendicitis. and
Jul Ao4 LA4lEAE interference. ne
would have died Next to the emfr OF
Bokhara, Osman Bek Datcho. the gov
ernOr OF Karshi is the most influen-
rial person in the Khanate. and for
many years had been the teacher OF
the emir- When I told him Of my great
desire TO see Kerki and put my foot on
Afghan soil, IL only within a few DAYS
Journey from the Anu Daria river he
shook his head and said, ''YOk," in a
most emphatic way. This means
Never. never." But persisted. and
when one fine day, the cameIs had sue
cessfully landed a Ford automobile
for me, 7 made the dash for Kerkf. &C
companied by the governors body
guard and his excellency's secretary,
Ismau Abdushukur.
EngIand's Colonization Mistakes.
The English punitive expedition IN
Continued on Page ?. Col 81.