AMANULLAH WAITS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 956, 26 April 1930, Page 30

AMANULLAH WAITS

EXILED KING READY FOR RETURN CALL SOJOURNING IN TURKEY Amanullah, former King of Afghanistan, arrived at Constantinople recently to be the guest of bis friend, Mustapha Kemal Pasha. According to his present plans he will remain there for some time, awaiting a possible call to return to his home in Kabul. The former ruler of the Afghans has been cordial to the inquiries of the Turkish Press, and has discussed the recent revolution in his country. Although he is hopeful that he may be recalled shortly, he cannot, he asserts, accept any invitation to do so that is not accompanied by the acceptance of his programme of reforms. It was his desire to westernise the customs of his country that brought upon him the -wrath of his enemies and was the cause of his banishment. Amanullah Willing To Go “I am ready,” he said, in addressing the Press, “to return to nry country, and even to assume any official post as a simple functionary, if in that way I can be of use to my fatherland. But it is not sufficient for me to be invited to return; I must have the assurance of the people that my programme of reforms will be adopted. “The Afghans are in a state of revolution, but if you ask any individual what the aim of that revolution is, it is not likely that he will be able to answer you. Such political risings usually have as their aim the progress of the country in some respects, but this is not true of the present unsettled conditions in Afghanistan.” Amanullah referred to some of the reforms he was interested in introducing. One of these was the lifting of the veil of Afghan women. “It is not a new thing that our women go unveiled,” he said, “but* when I issued the decree that it should become the universal custom of the country my enemies cried that I was an enemy of the Islamic faith.” Education of Girls The same was true, he said, of the opening of additional schools for girls. Such schools had existed for a long time, but when he ordered their number increased there was a general outcry, and it was necessary to close them ail. Still another of his forward-looking plans was the sending of students to various parts of Europe for study. These were ordered to return to the homeland. “Such is the work of my enemies,” he told reporters. “But I shall soon publish my memoirs, and all the world will learn the truth. In them I have exposed and described the various phases of the Afghan revolution. I believe that instead of creat-i ing great embassies in Egypt and other foreign countries it would be better for the Government and the country if students might complete