The Concordia sentinel. (Vidalia, Concordia Parish, La.) 1882-current, 1921-08-20
Railroads
Are Not Wanted

itself IS no more exclusive than brood
! ing. suspicious Kabul, the capital of
this isolate, unfriendly realm of
fanatic tribes, of rocks, deserts, irri-
gated valleys, and towering unsur-
veyed ranges.
"FOr reasons Of foreign policy, the
amir has long left the necessity of
secluding his little-knOwn Il I'D to the
greatest possible extent from the out
side world. Only a few Europeans,
mostly British, but occasionally also
an American and now and then a few
Russians or Germans, have had per-
mission to come into this country and
to sojOurn for a while in its curious
capital. But even on such rare occa-
siOns as when a foreign engineer or
doctor whose survives are badly
needed, is admitted by the grace of
the amir, the visitor is subject to a
surveillance that amounts almost TO
Imprisonment,
"NO ambassadors or ministers. not
even missionaries, are permitted to
reside in this forbidden MOslem land.
To-day no other monarch anywhere
Yields such undisputed authority or
is in closer touch with the everyday
life of his subjects. He personally
runs his c0untry's religion, its foreign
affairs, and he even supervises much
of its commerce. he also owns and
censors the only newspaper printed in
all Afghanistan
'From the World war, though he
took no active part in 1t, the amir
emerged with singular profits His old
and once rival neighb0rs, Great Brit
ain and Russia, drawn together as al
lies In the world conflict, left him a
free hand, and in 1919 Great Britain
officially recognized the political In
dependence of this much-buffeted buff
fer state, to whose rulers she had so
long paid a fat annuity.
with an area Of 245.000 square
miles, Afghanistan is, next to Tibet,
the largest country in the world that
is practically closed TO the citizens Of
other nations. But political life at
wary, alert Kabui is in sharp contrast
to the meditative seclusiOn and classic
aloofness of the pious lamas at
Lhasa. Amir Amanullah Khan,
through his agents in India and else
where, Is In close touch with the
worlds current events; and, as the
last remaining Independent ruler of
n hnk
er of the CaIiph at STEAMBOAT is bro
ken, he Yields a far-reaching influence
throughout the MOhammedan world
also, because his land happens to lie
Just as IT does on the map of the
world. it is plain that for 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 dismay. 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 Hablbullah Khan (who was
assassinated in 1870 had harem of
over 100 women, and among these.
strangely enough. were a few Euro
peans. The present amir, Amanullah
Khan. has but one wife.
"Tne trade of Afghanistan is moved !
entirely by caravans and is largely In
the hands Of Hlndus and Tadjiks. |
There is not a mile Of railroad In the
kingdom. the amir fearing that steel
would make isolation impos-
sible. y