Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-04-01
Nimitz Faces Problem
Taking kashmir Vote
In Rugged Country

oetblUE OUT the FOtc Oh Tic
northern roof Of the Indian SUBJ
continent poses problem for Ad-
miraf Chester w. Nimitz.
The United Nations has put him
in charge of the plebiscite that
will determine whether the Hima-
layan twin state. Jammu and
Kashmir, joins Hindu India or
Moslem Pakistan. But nature
raises plenty of obstacles to q
quick and painless poll-takins
Recording the vote OF the $780,
900 inhabitants of the beauty
renowned Vale of Kashrnir, where
the Shalimar Ca rdens lie, will be
the easy part of the big under
taking, the National Geographic
Society reports. Setting up .
workable balloting method for the
2,500. 900 hill people in the rest Of
the state runs into physical diff
culties which experts feel will pre-
vent holding the plebiscite before
early 1850.
Realm Of Towering Mountains.
Bright little heart Of a great
rugged body, the Vale Of Kashmir
occupies less than one-twentieth
of the state area, lying within the
southwest part. The Vale Is half
as large as New jersey, lies In the
same north latitude as Los An
geles, but at the same miIe-high
altitude as Denver. The Jammu-
Kashmir unit Is the size Of Min
nesota.
The Jhelum River sweeps north
westward through the Vale and
past Srinagar, city of 200. 900 ind
capital Of the state. The Shall
mar Gardens border lovely Dial
Lake on the outskirts Of Srinagar.
Other jewel-like lakes dot the
Vale, around which mountains
rise in tiers Of lofty grandeur on
every side. Many Western visi-
tor has declared the scenes beauty
unsurpassed.
Moslem Pakistan territory Dor
ders Jammu and Kashnir on the
west. India touches 1t on the
south. Tibet on the east. The
Zaskar. Ladakh and Karakoram
ranges of the Himalayas. with the
Indus River running between.
stretch from southeast to the
lofty Gilgit area In the states
northwest.
Trails through high mountain
valleys cross from China and
Tibet. Pakistan. however. pro-
vides the only easy access into the
populous heart Of Jammu and
Kashmir. The state boasts just
20 miles Of railroad, crossing the
southern border from Sialkot.
Pakistan, and running to the town |
of Jammu.
Source Of Soft Wool.
Somehow, the plebiscite must |
reach mountain .dwellers both re-
mote and illiterate, including
many nomads seeking grazing
land for their herds Of sheep and
goats. The finest Of the soft
pashmina wool, from which Kash-
mir shawls and scarves have
long been hand-loomed, comes
from the under fleece of the belly
lpf goats raised in the cold. snowy
Ladakh, sometimes known Is
Little Tibet"
In the populous valleys of the
states southwest, fruit orchards
thrive and silk culture Is impor-
tant. Rug weaving continues In
small factories at .Srinagar and
other towns In muchsthe manner
1t has for centuries. On q rela-
lively modern scale, however. Is
the silk factory on the capitals
outskirts which helped to make
silk for parachutes, Kashmir's
chief contribution to the war
effort.
Moslems. far outnumberine
Hindus, constitute more than
three-fourths of the pop-,,- ton
of Jammu and Kashrnir. The
Maharaja. however. is q Hindu,
hence the dispute on the issue of
which, doyniv,ioy, RI f0iv.