Evening star., 1924-03-02
The Story the Week Has Told

hammedan British subjects. but also
over the Ismailiah communities in
Afghanistan, Persia. Arabia: Centra
Asia, Syria and Morocco. His po!iti-
cal influence is scarcely less than ina,
his religious influence over the mil
lions of Ismailiahs and his prestige
among Mohammedans outside ms
sect is remarkable and growing. To
him, more thalr-to any other, IS attrlo-
uted the loyalty of the Mohamme-
dan subjects of the British crown
to that crown during the great war.
He is a direct descendant OF the
prophet. through Fatima. He may IN
time be Caliph of Islam, at least out
| the plot of which seems to be thick
| ening. When the Aga Khan speaks
No. 10 Downing street listens. -.
There is great argument aoout ~
and about" at Angora-that is, about
the question of the caliphate. II
1922, Mohammed VI was deposed,
both as sultan and as caliph; how
the sultanate was abolished and how
| tie caliphate was retained in the
house of Othman, Mohammed's S
| nephew. Abdul Mejid, being appoint
sembly. The arrangement was anom-
alous without precedent or au-
! thority in Moslem usage or law. 1t
| seems that a certain amount of IN
| trigue--how much. how dangerous,
does not appear-is going on for
restoration of the sultanate. Ac-
counts of his character make it very
doubtful that the present caliph
| should engage in or countenance
such intrigue, but he might we'll be
the unwilling center thereof. 1t has
been moved in the Angora assembly
| that Abdul Mejid be deposed and
! that the house of Othman be de-
clared incapable of the caliphate: it
I has even been moved that the cali
phate be abolished altogether, so far
as Turkey is concerned. $780,
= X x *
United States of America.-The e
proposal by the Rev. Charles Francis
| Potter, pastor Of the West Side Uni
| American Old Testament" is at least
| interesting. All the books of the
f, Jewish Old Testament would. it
| seems. have their American counter
parts.
| a good deal of existing American
literature would fill the bill. says Mr..
| Potter, but obviously some new COM
| position would be necessary, for
| which. it cannot be doubted by any
! 100 per cent American, the required
, inspiration is available.
\
! NiscellaneOus.-By a majority OF
| 136 the French chamber has passed
| Poincare'S financial and decretory
| bills. Now for the senate, supposed
| to be less we'll disposed than the
! chamber. Suppose the bills enacted
( 1t is (perhaps little enthusiastically
estimated that their operation will
help the budget to the tune of seven
! and one-half billion francs. But will
| 1t exalt the franc? That is the all-im-
portant question.
All is not harmony in the confer
ence now taking place at Rome pre-
paratory Git is hoped) to a larger
conference to be held next year to
consider extension of the operation
of the principles of the Washington
naval treaty to non -signatory powers.
The Spanish delegation has with
drawn from active participation in
the conference remaining in obser-
vation.'
Prince Matsukata was incorrectly
reported. killed in the great Toxic
disaster. He is now reported to have
died q natural death, leaving Prince
Saionji as the only survivor of the
genro, or elder statesmen of Japan.
The Almanac de Gotha, the who's
who Of royalty" first published in
1853, and which has appeared annu-
ally without a break ever since. will
not appear this year ana perhaps
! never again.