Evening star., 1932-08-07
An Ex-King Talks Back


knew then that the people really be-
lieved in me and already wished for
my return. He publicly professed his
friendship for me. But secretly he
began to undermine my policies and my
reputation. I expected this. Since
then he has PUBLICLY admitted that he
accepted from the British S860000, to-
gsther with 10000 rifles, when he
entered Afghanistan from India. He
failed to mention the Wazirstan
militia who entered with him. Those
Waziri soldiers were Afghans by blood
true enough, but they were from Brit
ish territory. not Afghan territory. and
they were British trained.
1T has been plain from the first that
in order to discredit me Nadir Khan
was determined to diScredit my whole
program. And this applies even 20
certain measures which he himself had
approved years ago when he was IN
my cabinet.
He has continued to echo the criti-
c!srns of my old enemies. They called
my whole program mad haste spread
ing abroad the impression that it was
only after my journey to Europe that
I started to modernize my country
But the fact is-and they knew it well
that ! had been steadily applying
these ideas for nine years, since I came
to the throne in 1919.
Freed Woman Slaves.
Even before that time 1 had begun
to apply some of these ideas in hum
BILE measure. For example, they have
bmentiond the advancement of women
Since my grandfather's time the wom-
en- of certain tribes had been regarded
as legitimate slaves because those tribes
had rebelled against my grandfather
He crushed that rebellion and declared
those people slaves on the very day
that I was born.
when I grew up the whole practice
seemed horrible to me. used to spend
nv money buying the freedom OF
slaves When became King I imme-
diately declared all of them free.
continued to work steadily, but slowly
for the advancement Of women. The
first school for girls I established at
Kabul in 1924. 1t was the main ex-
| cuse for the Mangal rebellion against
me that year. That rebellion was put
down, and the school continued tt
flourish. But there was no mad haste
| about it.
Nor did I ever decree that the vel
or polygamy be abolished. I did seel
to encourage these st.ps by the ex
ample of my own household and by dis
cuSsion and persuasion And finally
I decided that the time had come t:
choose as my councillors Lnly men who
had accepted the principle of monog-
| a-nv. But was this mad haste?
THE same NAV be said Of nv re-
FIRMS in our methods of justice. Thest
lso I began very soon after I becam'
1kx@TN
ne country to study conditions anc
to apply these changes personally. From
Kabul I went first to Kandahar. Thel
Diellallabad wanted these new method
of Justice. and I moved there. But
did not act with haste I told then
they were not ready for such changes
but at the same time explained thei
significance. Not until the leader
seemed very eager for the reforms di'
I consent to apply them"
Gives Views on Costumes.
NY next question touched ger
sore spot in my host. No other Tea
ture of his program had been give
such widespread and unsympathet1
notoriety outside his country. 1t wa
hee-hawed by provincial editors an
punsterS from Kalamazoo to Cap
Town I refer to Amanullah's dres
reform. When I broached the sub
ject-"the astonishing reports that yo'
were determined to compel your peo
pie. townsmen and tr1besmen alike, I
abandon their picturesque Afghan cos
tunes for Western clotheS"-hiS broV
clouded and the chair creaked unde
his impatience. His chief critics, h
said, who controlled the news abou
Afghanistan, had used this subject t
belittle his whole program for modern
iZation. His only decree as to moderl
dress (aside from the uniforms Of sol
diers and studentS) was that govern
ment officials should wear Western
clothes. especially during the hours Q
their official duties.
"The clothes problem had its prac
tical and economic consideration 70
me and my poor country. Industry i
Afghanistan is very backward but W
are already able to produce the mate
rials for Western clothes-woolen clot
and felt for hats. Also we possess tn
raw materials-the hocks and the herd
of our mountainsides. But We produc
no cotton. And yet our present cos
tunes are made almost entirely of cot
ton material. We must import it al
Do you know how many yards of clot
are considered necessary for fashion
able turban? Imagine how much
required for the entire baggy costume
with its endless windings Our Afgha
dandy considers himself in full styl
only when he has enveloped himsel
in whole bolt-45 yards, is it not?-
of cotton material. Now is that eithe
sensible or economic for my poo
country?"