Evening star., 1923-08-07
BY THE MARaUIsE DE FoNTENoY.

III hhC "hhtaNI ISE DE FONIENOf.
While Great Britain has been con-
centrating her attention on the in
trigues of bolshevist Russia in
Afghanistan at the very northern
gateway Of her vast Indian empire.
under the impression that the Moscow
soviets were her only enemies in
that part of the world. which has
been the scene OF so many of her
frontier wars during the past CEN
tury, she seems to have entirely lost
sight of the activities of Germany
in Afghanistan. which do not appear,
thus far. to have aroused any atten-
tion abroad. The appointment. dur
ing the last few weeks, of a German
minister plenipoteniary to represent
the Berlin government at Kabul has,
however, led to the somewhat alarm
ing discovery that there are quite
large number of Germans in Afghan
istan working there in various
capacities and a number more are on
the way.
Thus the up-to-date electric plant
by which the metropolitan city of
Kabul is lighted is in charge of
German engineers. A German archi-
tect is planning and directing the
construction of the new modern
quarter of the city in which the new
palace of the ameer and all the for
eign legations are being built, a
perfect army of German masons and
skilled artisans working under him.
The organization of the system of
public education in Afghanistan has
been, until now, under French direc
ton. But a German named Sebastian
Beck, who has, for some time past,
been employed by the ameer's gov
ernment as its chief interpreter and
as an adviser on European matters,
is in fair way OF ousting the
French and securing a German con-
troll of the national education.
German medical commission, consist
ing Of seven physicians and surgeons
in addition to two woman doctors,
has left Berlin via Moscow, en- route
for Kabul. where they are to take up
their residences, and every effort is
being made by Berlin to shape the
ideas of the ameer and of the states
men of Afghanistan along German
lines.
In Berlin, indeed, Afghanstan is
described. in certain circles, as New
Japan" and although the Cuno gov
ernment is supposed to be bankrupt
and to have no money for the pay
ment of those reparations which she
pledged herself, by treaty. to pay to
the allies, yet she seems to have
plenty of mopy TO spend, regardless
of expense. in furthering her interests
in Afghanistan which, like those of
her Russian bolshevik friends, are
admittedly hostile TO Great Britain.
The attitude of the ameer in thus
countenancing anti-British intrigue
in his dominions is largely due to
the fact that England has Withdrawn
thu very large annual subsidy which
she was wont, in days gone by, to
pay to the rulers of Afghanistan.
* X X
Henry A. Daniel, who has just
passed away at his country seat. at
Wallingham, was relatively unknown
to the general public but familiar
and popular figure in the city of
London, where, for over fifty years. as
the head of the stock exchange firm
of Mullens. Marshall & Co, he had
served as broker to the British gov
ernment and broker to the Bank of
England He was a great character
in his way, so conservative that he
always refused to tout or compete
for business. and his adherence to old
methods caused him to entertain a
perfect horror of typewriters. tele-
phones and anything which did away
with personal touch. In his own
country house and in his London
home he would have neither electric
and his his integrity endowed his
opinions and his judgments with a
unique value and his advice was
frequently sought by the treasury, by
the Bank of England and by the
stock exchange committee. for which
or rscoxnition, scAed, he was re-