ANXIETY IN KABUL

Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1928, Page 4

ANXIETY IN KABUL

-MOSCOW'S STEADY "TRADE” PRESSURE. (By Sir Percivul Phillips). - j PESHAWAR (Nortli-West Frontier), 1 January 4. When Jacob Borodin was about to leave China last summer, on the coJ- . lapse of the Communist movement f which lie had directed, first from Canton and finally from Hankow, be told ’ a European who was in It is eon fill deuce that Soviet Russia’s next move :! in the campaign to destroy the Britb isli Empire would be against India. Borodin’s prophecy is by way of boil itig fulfilled. Having failed twice in o China, Moscow is now concentrating Her energies on the extension of Bols slievik influence in Central Asia, with s India as her ultimate objective. ■- The new central Asian Soviet States s bordering on Afghanistan afford an ex- >. (client base for this ambitious revolutionary movement. Afghanistan itself is being subjected to insidious propaganda. The following interesting ade mission was made by the Aman-i-AI-(1 ghan newspaper of Kabul, published i- under the direct supervision of the - Foreign Office, in its issue of August if «> last: ■. “Had it been possible for Afghani(i staii to become a tool in the hands e of its neighbours, it would have been utilised by Russia long ago. and Rusi- 1 sia. instead of making difficult and ■- expensive plans for raising China e against the Concessions of British a Capitalism, would have struck a very r effective blow against Great Britain s through Afghanistan.” n THE KING’S DIFFICULTY, t Moscow's conspiracy in China has failed. As the Afghans themselves g realise, the logical alternative is an if attack through their kingdom. How d far they will allow themselves to he used by Russia is a question which e expert observers cannot yet answer ” satisfactorily. n King Amnimlinli and bis Government are in a position of peculiar difficulty.' For them the Russian menace is very real. Extreme caution is discernible in every official utterance on the subject of external politics, but beneath this correct exterior there is real anxiety. Russia’s intrigues in the north-west-ern province, which adjoins her artificial Soviet States, are well known. Her steady pressure through commercial and economic channels has a s motive as distinct from the extension j of normal trade relations as the re- ,. cent exploits of Arcos in England. Moscow is trying in many ways, some s subtle, others frankly open, to - entice l( the King into a position which will make her a dominant influence in Afghanistan. r A MIDDLE COURSE. With Russia and India watching [ him closely, the King is trying to steer . a middle course. f am told bv forL , eign residents at Kabul that he is far , from being unfriendly to Great Hri- , tain. But there are strong anti-Brit-ish influences in bis Government, v . which manifest themselves repeatedly , and make his altitude the more diffi- (. cull to maintain. j Even the disclaimers of Russian in- , tluenec at Kabul are coupled with ! complaints of British aggression and I intrigue on I lie Indian frontier, and untrue allegations of military pre- , pnrations for the conquest of Afghanistan. {• Russia maintains Ihc largest foreign , colony in the kingdom. She is constaidly adding to the various “missions” which are supposed to deal j with problems for internal irnprove--1 incut. Her Diplomatic and Consular stall's at Kabul are of unusual size. I She has an aviation cups of L; t pilots and two niccliaiiics with pilots’ certificates. Her trade mission, road survey mission, telegraph ((instruct inn ! corps, and other similarly camoufhigt ed delegations of good Communists picked by Moscow afford excellent cover for subversive propaganda of the usual kind. She is paying particular attention to aviation. Her pilots carry the King’s mail when lie is on tour. They make regular flights between Kabul and Tashkent, the headquarters for Bolshevik agitation in Central Asia and against India. They are described as competent airmen who are ready at any time to flv over the high mountain ranges in the north, involving an altitude of 20,000 ft in difficult currents. They have mapped the country thoroughly from the sky. Some of the younger officers of the Afghan air force are trained in RusIsia. A portion of its equipment was supplied from Moscow. Moscow wants to build a trunk road through to Kabul, ostensibly for trade purposes. 'l’he route the Bolsheviks have selected would he of great military value—to them—and inasmuch as it crosses a pass at 13.000 ft, which cannot he uesd for six months in the . year its commercial value would he very small. The real motive for its construction is well known to the ( Afghan Government. j . INSULTS TO BRITISH. . The Russians, of course, ascribe his Majesty’s independent attitude to the ( machinations of Great Britain. Hatred of their worst enemy is displayed with 1 indecent frankness. The various agents at Kabul who work under Soviet lega- ] tion and consular protection disdain , the ordinary courtesies of the diplo- ; matie service. ]

It is true that AT. Stark, the Afinister. himself a pre-revolution revolutionary of good family, conducts himself decorously when in contact with his colleagues, hut his .Subordinates make no such concession to “Imper-

ialism.” AVhen the British Legation was destroyed hv fire Sir Francis Jlumphrys, the Alinister. received offers of shelter and expressions of sympathy from the representatives of all other foreign Powers except Russia. SokolofF, the Charge d’Affaires in the absence of AT. Stark, stated publicly that his only regret was that Sir Francis had not been burned with his staff. The Russians in Kabul show in other ways their contempt for the decencies of life. Their drunkenness, their quarrels, their outbursts of rage, during which furniture is destroyed in the fine old Bolshevik way, have completely discredited them in the eyes of the Afghans, who appreciate good manners and themselves respect the ordinary conventions of everyday life.