LEGATIONS AT KABUL

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 46, 26 February 1929, Page 9

LEGATIONS AT KABUL

GERMANS STAY BEHIND

DIFFICULT TRANSPORT

British Official Wireless.

(Received 26th February, 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, 23th February,

The evacuation of British, French, and Italian diplomatic missions from Kabul to Peshawar was effected yesterday and to-day by Koyal Air Force machines. Yesterday evening the entire French and Italian Legation staffs and a few members of the British Legation, 27 passengers in all, reached Peshawar in'five aeroplanes, and the remainder of the British staff, including the British 'Minister, Sir Francis Humphrys, came away to-day. Arrangements had previously been made with the Afghan authorities in Kabul for the evacuation, to be effected by eight aeroplanes. The heavy snow which covered the landing ground to a depth of 17 inches interposed difficulties , and necessitated a short postponement of plan. Sir Francis Humphrys, however, arranged for several hundred men to work throughout Saturday on the landing ground stamping down the snow, and clearing it with shovels so that the conditions, although still difficult, made it possible for the plan to be put into operation yesterday and to-day. CLEARING AERODROME. ' The Kabul authorities gave friendly assistance by permitting the employment of workmen to prepare the ground for the landing and taking off of the machines which with heavy loads of pas-sengers-and baggage required skilful handling by the pilots. It is emphasised in well-informed London circles that -the withdrawal of the British Legation from Kabul does not mark any change in the British Government's attitudo to events in Afghanistan which continues to be one of the strictest neutrality and non-ia-terference with internal Afghan affairs. The maintenance of the diplomatic mission in Afghanistan has failed to achieve any object, since there is no generally recognised Government in that country at the moment and Bince the safe evacuation of British subjects and other foreigners wishing to leave. There has also been a desire on the part of the British authorities to avoid any situation in which their representatives unintentionally might be subjected to danger in circumstances which might involve intervention on their behalf. SUBJECT TO DANGER. It is recalled that a few weeks ago the British staff, by reason of the position of the Legation buildings, were unintentionally subjected to a consider-, able danger from rifle and artillery fire part of.buildings being set alight It is thus considered advisable to withdraw the staff while conditions are fairly quiet. In accordance with the principle of neutrality British Consular officers are also being withdrawn from Kandahar and Jalalabad. With the arrival at Peshawar 'to-day of the British Minister, Sir Francis Humphrys, in the last of the British aeroplanes engaged in the evacuation of the Britsh, French, and Italian Legations from Kabul, an extremely difficult air operation was completed safely and successfully. Equal facilities for evacuation had been extended to the German Minister, his staff and nationals. Actually the German Minister, together with two other Germans, were brought away in aeroplanes on Sunday. As, however, some German nationals were either unable or unwilling to wind up their affairs in time to leave by aeroplane, the German Charge d'Affaires, Baron Yon Plessen; was taken in a British machine to Kabul at the end of last week to watch over their interests in the place of the German Minister, who is in illhealth. STRICT NEUTRALITY. As an indication of the strict neutrality which the British Government is maintaining towards Afghan affairs, arrangements have been made for the British Consular representatives in Jalalabad and Kandahar also to withdraw to Peshawar, whither they are proceeding by train and motor-car. By a curious coincidence the departure of the British Minister from Kabul to-day coincides with the. seventh anniversary of the date on which the British Legation crossed the Afghan border. Since 23rd December, the Eoyal Air Force machines have in 82 flights conveyed 586 passengers safely from Kabul to Peshawar in the depth of winter over a mountainous country at an average height of 10,000 feet. Flight conditions on all occasions have been extremely difficult, and exceptionally so during the last few days owing to the heavy snow deeply covering the landing ground at the Suerpuv Aerodrome, Kabul.