White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1931-07-23

dried, make up prominent items In
the city's exports.
A ditch and a mud-brick wall ex-
tending for more than three miles sur
round Kandahar. Outside the east
gate is large caravansary where are
often to be found huge stores of wool
and other products destined for India.
Kandahar shows its trade impor-
lance and the cosmopolitan character
Of its 81, 900 inhabitants in its bazaars.
Hindu, Afghan, Persian, and Baluchi
merchants handle goods from Europe,
Central ASIA Turkestan, and India.
The Hindu merchants predominant and
are shipping agents as we'll. Their
outgoing caravans carry, In addition
to wool and dried fruits, evilsmelling
asafetida for the drug trade, indiffer-
ent tobacco, madden for the outside
worlds paint tubes and dye watts, SILK.
and cleverly carved prayer beads for
devout Moslems from Java to Mo-
rocco.
The dwelling houses Of Kandahar
are built of sun-dried brick with hat
roofs. Most of them are small and OF
one story. But the houses OF the
wealthy merchants have upper floors
and are incosed by high walls. rev
have spacious courts and elaborate
fountains and gardens.
Plenty Of Sunni Mosques.
The Afghans belong to the Sunni
branch Of Mohammedanism, rival
creed to that Of the Shiahs, accepted
by the Persians. There are $50 Sunni
mosques In Kandahar and not one
Shah mosque, although many OF the
city jewellers from outside Afghanis-
tan are Shlahs. Topping the towns
skyline Is the lofty dome Of the tomb
of Ahmad Shah Durrani, which may
be seen by the traveller while he Is
still far from the outer wall.
Kandahar is in the same latitude as
Dallas, Texas, but because 1t Is sur
rounded by deserts and mountains It's
climate Is more nearly comparable to
that Of the drier portions Of northern
Mexico. There is little rainfall, and
in summer the temperature rises to
most uncomfortable heights.
East and north Of Kandahar better
roads were encountered than those Of
eastern Afghanistan, and the expedi-
ton had little difficulty in reaching
Kabul. It found that the ambitious
modern capital city which former King
Amanullah had almost completed on
the outskirts Of Kabul before his visit
to the United States In 1923, Is now
deserted. Governmental activities, as
during past centuries, are carried on
in old Kabul.
kabuI Big and Busy.
Kabul Is one Of the three Of the least
known capitals in the world today.
The others are Lhasa, capital Of Tibet,
and Rad, capital of the newly recog-
nized country, Nedj, in central Arabia.
Kabul granted the Trans-Asia expe-
dition permission to enter, but GUS
tomarily it hangs out no welcome"
signs to visitors, distinguished or 9TH
erwise. The Afghan capital, like the
rest of the Asian monarchy of which
1t Is the largest city, asks little from
the outside world, and would like the
attitude reciprocated.
Yet Kabul Is far from crude or
primitive. 1t has electric lights from
a hydroelectric power plant, tele-
phones, many automobiles but few
roads, machine shops, munitions
works, and factories for making soap,
shoes, and cloth, all built under Eng
lish supervision. Its tanneries, estab-
lished through the cooperation of out
side experts, are sources Of especial
pride.
Kabul itself Is busy city of about
100000 people. One can only guess at
the population because the single eff
fort at census failed before the in
nate exclusiveness Of the Afghan.
Rather than tell their names and ages
so many Kabul residents either left
the city or hid away that business was
disrupted and the census was aban-
doned.
Kabuls flat-roof dwellings rise In
sweeping tiers from the banks Of the
Kabul river to sun-parched foothills,
1000 feet above the sea, higher than
the peak of Mt. Mitchell, loftiest Of the
Appalachian chain. The peaks Of the
Hindu Kush, three times as high, jut
into the skyline not far away. Hence
its winters are cold and it's summers
mild.
Piano players and monographs give
the ear an inkling Of the home life
Of Afghanistans capital--a home life
which is screened from the eye by in
terminabe mud walls. Probably no.
where in the East Is the seclusion of
women more complete than in Kabul.
The extent of mans walls Is the bar
ometer of his social station.
When western idea finally reaches
the Kabul home the impact often
leaves strange anticlimax. The story
Is told of one wealthy Kabulian who
would have nothing less than a grand
,~,...o H., h;c homo Aftpr many months