The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1921-08-19
Railroads
Are Not Wanted

itself is no more exclusive than brood
ing. suspicious KahUl, the capital OF
this isolate. unfriendly realm OF
fanatic tribes. of rocks, deserts, irri-
gated valleys. and towering cnsur-
veyed ranges
For reasons IF foreign policy. the
amir has long eft the necessity of
secluding his litt e-known land to the
greatest possible extent from the out
side world. Only Il few Europeans.
mostly British. rrlt occasionally also
IN American anH low and then 81 few
Russians or Gelr ms. have had per-
mission to come IL to this country
to S%oiourn for a .hile in its curious
capital. But eve, on such rare occa-
sions as when Il ftreign engineer. or
Il doctor whose SHrviceS are badly
needed. is admitted by the grace of
the amir. the visitor Is subject to a
surveillance hat mounts almost 10
Imprisonment.
NJ ambassadors oy ministers. not
even missionaries, IRE permitted 10
reside in this forhiGden Moslem land.
To-day no other Ia>rlareh anywhere
Yields such undisp'l ed authority OF
is in closer touch WITH the ever day
life of his subjects He personally
runs his counlry's religion, its foreign
affairs. and he eve sfpervises much
of its commerce. He also owns and
censors the only newspaper printe" in
all ~AfchaniStan
"From the World w;r. though he
took no active part !, 1t. the amir
emerged with singular pre- fits. His old
and once rival ~neighhors. Great Brit
ain and Russia. drawn together as al
lies in the world cOnhict. left him a
free hand. and in 1919 Great Britain
officially recognized the !~oliticaI in
dependence of this muchhtfffeted huf-
fer state. to whose rulers she had so
long paid a fat annuity.
with an area of 245.OtO square
miles. Afghanistan is. neNt to Tibet,
the largest country in the world that
is practically closed TO the citizens OF
other nations. But politicnl life ut
wary. alert Kahul is in SHARP contrast
W lIt UiVNttliiNN SSNi dNi NfbN
aloofness of the p;ouS Ianas at
Lhasa. Amir Amanullah Khan,
through his agents in India and else
where. is in close toucl. with the
worlds current events and. as the
last remaining Independent ruler Of
a Moslem country. now that the pow
err of the Caliph at STEAMBOAT IL bro
l-,> Ia, ,-;a1j. 70 a or. ,.no l. f,,,r IN N - % apn
throughout the Mohammedan world:
also, because his land happens 10 lie
just as 1t does on the map Of tie
world. it is plain that for a long time
to come he will be an active force in
the political destinies of middle Asia.
Wives Distributed as Gifts.
"FrOm the Persians the Afghans got
the idea Of marrying more than one
wife; but, like the Persians. too. they
have found. to their dislnay. that
polygamy is nowadays more expensive
than exciting.
sometimes, when the amir wants
to favor his faithful officials with
presents, or perhaps to play practical
Jokes In certain cases, he distributes
women among them: but these gifts
often prove so troublesome that no
great degree Of gratitude is apparent
among the recipients.
"Amir Habibullah Khan (who was
assassinated in 1919 had a harem Of
over 100 women, and among these
strangely enough. were a few Euro
peans. The present amir. Amanullaf
Khan. has but n wife.
'The trade Of Afghanistan is movet
entirely by caravans and Is largely II
the hands OF Hindus and Tadjiks
There Is not a mile OF railroad in tn;
kingdom, the amir fearing that stec
highways would make isolation ilnpos
sible-