Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1921-09-17
Railroads
Are Not Wanted

itself Is no more exclusive than brood
ing, suspicious Kabul, the capital OF
this isolate, unfriendly realm or
fanatic tribes, of rocks, deserts, irri1
gated valleys, and towering unsurs
veyed ranges.
"For reasons of foreign policy, the
amir has long left the necessity OF
secludlng his little-known land to tha
greatest possible extent from the out,
side world. Only few Europeans,
mostly British. but occasionally also
an American and now and then q few
Russians or Germans, have had per-
mission TO come into this country and
to sojonrn for q while In Its curious
capital. But even on such rare oeca~
sIons as when foreign engineer, or
doctor whose survces 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.
"TOday No other monarch anywhere
Yields such undlsputed authority or
is In closer touch with the everyday
life of his subjects. He personally
runs his country'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 aRiir
emerged with singular profits. His old
and once rival neighbors, Great Brit
ain and Russia, drawn together as al
lies In the world conflict, left him q
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 nm area of 245,0OO 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 &C
wary, alert Kabul is In sharp contrast
70 the meditative seclusion and classic
aloofness Of the pous lamas &C
Lhasa. Amir Amanullah Khan,
through his agents In India and else
where IL In close touch with the
worlds current events; and, as the
last remaining independent ruler OF
MosIem country, now that the pow
or Of the Caliph at STEAMBOAT Is bro-
ken he Yields far-reachlng influence
throughout the Mohammedan world;
also because his land happens to lie
inst MS II does on the map OF the
world, II is plain that for long time
70 come he will be an active force In
the political destlnies Of middle Asia.
Wives Distributed as Gifts. I
"From the PersIans the Afghans got
tho idea of marrying more than ona
wife but, like the Persians, too. they
have found. to their dlsmay, that
polygamy Is nowadays more expensive
than exciting.
sometimes, when the amir wants
m 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
preot degree of gratitude Is apparent
among the recipients.
amir Habibullah Khan twho was
assassInated in 1870 had a harem OK
over 100 women, and among these.
strangely enough, were a few Euro
means. The present amir, Amanullah
Khan. has but one wife.
"The trade Of Afghanistan Is moved
entirely by caravans and Is largely In
the hands Of Hindus and Tadjiks.
There Is not mile Of railroad in ths
kingdom, the amir fearing that steel
highways would make isolation impos-
sIble.