AFGHANISTAN.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1919, Page 5

AFGHANISTAN.

AFGHANS REINFORCED; BRITISH BEAT BACK ATT'Alft London, May i& A British cdmmunidjie states that thd Afghans; heaviiy reinforced} reached, thd jheigiits Overlooking tandi Kotal; which '. is indisputably on Ike British side rit' i j fifbritier': The Afghans thereby com ; mitted a deliberate act of invasion. We later expelled them, and aeroplanes cooperating with us bombed Leodakk, with good results! There is eome unrest at reshawaiy , where martial law has been proclaimed. The situation improved after a number of arrests had been made.—Aus and N.Z. Cable Assn.

Immediately upon the murder of the late Amir of Afghanistan, his brother, Nasrullah Khan, was proclaimed Amir. At the same time the late Amir's third son, Amanullah Khan, was proclaimed at Kabul. Early in March, however, ho ronounoed his claim. According to offiicial reports published at the time, Nasrullah Khan not only renounced his claims to the throne, but swore allegiance, together with all civil, military, and religious representatives, to Amanullah.

The now Amir was born on June 1, I 1892. His mother was the Royal Con[sort, Ulyah Hazrat, and he is the only I son of Royal blood on both sides. In recent years his father left him in charge of Kabul on the winter exodus of the Amir and his Court to Jalalabad, and he 1b said to have made himself popular there. Amaoullah sent a letter to the .Government of India announcing his ■accession, and giving assurances of continuing the policy of friendly relations with the British Government so steadily i maintained by his father. When Nasrullah sent emissaries to Kabul to negotiate with Amanullah after the eldest son, Inayatullah, had renounced his claims in favor of those of his uncle, they found the currents of feeling running strongly in favor of Amanullah, and went over to his cause. The latter had been for nine years Governor a»;u Commander-in-Chief in and around Kabul, where more than half the effective regular army is garrisoned. The, State troops declared themselves on his side, and Nasrullah was nlaced under close surveillance at Jtildtalud. Subsequently Nasrullah .vas sentenced to imprisonment for life for complicity in the murder of the late Amir. The actual murderer was executed. Though Inayatullah renounced the throne in favor of Nasrullah, a similar renunciation in favor of his brother, the new Amir, was not recorded.