Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1919-07-11
WAR IN AFGHANISTAN-By Frederic J. Haskin

The poorest, most emaciated Hindu of the
lowlands can beat him in a battle of wits,
but as warrior he commands respect. Fight
ing is his vocation in life 1t is instile into
him from the cradle Up, and he gets plenty
of practice, because almost every Afghan
family is engaged in some sort of a deadly
feud. Revenge is the great motive of life in
Afghanistan. At the 2ge Of six or seven, the
little Afghan boy usually finds out that some
male member of his family has been muir
dered by the male member of some other
family and that his sole purpose in life is to
avenge that murder. 1t even extends to the
female members.
Thus a few years ago a Afghan was muir
dered on account of land dispute Somewhat
irregularly, the case was taken into court,
but, inasmuch as the murdererS relatives
were very influential, no witnesses could be
found to testify against him. The sister of
the murdered man was the only relative left
to avenge him This sister left the court
1oy1n with bitter ana dangerous smile, such
as are often seen in moving pictures. 81
can get no Justice here she said ominously
"but l will find way
The young lady found it a few days later
on the occasion of the weekly fair when the
city bazaars were file with shouting. joet-
ling hlllmen from the surrounding villages.
She walked deliberately up to her enemy in
one of tho bazaars and fred revolver point
blank into him. Calmly, she waited for the
promptly did, and sentenced her to penal
| servitude for life. She received the sentence
| with an expression of satisfaction. II have
avenged my brother, she said, 81 am con-
tent"
The sister was inspired in this act. .-o
| by any great affection for her brother, but
| as matter of family honor When the
| number of deaths in both families are equal,
| they usually make it up end the feud and
are thereafter lifelong friends. The Afghan
has an abnormal sense of honor which
causes him to do the most ridiculous things
| and gets him into no end of trouble. He is
always fighting to protect it. AMI woe be to
| the person who treats it lightly 4 story is
| told by British missionary, which shows
| that the Afghan and his honor are often Il
palnIui BORE One of the many customs
which honor makes necessary is the killing of
tatted calf as mark of hospitality 20 visi-
| tors whenever the well-to-do Afghan is
blessed with arrival of guests he rushes out
into his backyard and kills a calf or a lamb
and has 1T served for dinner. The poorer
FclaSses cannot arord to be so reckless, so they
rush out and kill only fowl or two
One evening, the m ssionary and his party
| arrived at the mountain home of proE1t-
nent Afghan, and were received by his son.
His father, he said, was down in the village
and would be back that evening. The son
had couple of fowls killed and prepared for
dinner, after which, the party being very
tired, they went to bed. About one o'clock
in the morning the father returned and
learned of their arrival When he discover
ed that only fowls had .een killed for their
repast, he raised a dreadful fuss, heaped re-
proaches upon his sons head, and finally
asserted that the only way he could vindicate
his honor was to have a calf killed anyway
SO at half past two in the morning the mis-
s1onary and his party were awakened from a
sound sleep and requested to come and par
take of another meal to which the fatted calf
had contributed. ~ 80.
Another prevailing characteristic of the
Afghan is bluff. On the other hand he is
strictly just and his admiration OF brute force
and power is beyond exaggeration. A man
of force and without fear can do anything
he likes with most Afghans. A British ply
stefan, heavy middle-aged man, was rest
ing along the roadside one morning when q
group of young Afghans discovered him. AS
means of entertainment, one held loaded
revolver to the doctors chest and explained
that he was going to shoot him. The doctor
never ficked an eyelash.
| you will be a great fool if you do' he
said calmly "You would as likely as not
poison yourself with my drugs if I were not
there to tell you how to use them" The
doctor received an apology.
From this it may be seen that the Afgh
is not absolutely unregenerate. With their
light cannon and bono. Ag planes the British
should not have nue. trouble in subduing
the present generation of fighting Afghans
The only trouble is that by the time the
younger generation grows up, the whole
scrap will be forgotten, and the British will
have the work to do Ill over again.