AN AFGHAN DANGER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14326, 23 March 1910, Page 6

AN AFGHAN DANGER.

Information from Afghanistan, shows that the Ameer ,is at last realising the danger that may arise from.the wholesale importation of rifles and ammunition into the country. In many districts, some of them not far removed from Cabul itself, there is a growing • disinclination to pay revenue, and nothing short of the exercise of military force can secure the realisation of State dues. The tribal system j is supreme in Afghanistan, ; and when this or that clan finds itself well armed a disposition to resist the central autho- I rity, ; invariably i declares: itself. * Under Abdur Rahman there were a; number of j tribal s risings, Ghilzais, Shinwaris, , and Hazaras' taking their turn at. insurrection. But, at < that time, ; the tribesmen had few .breechloaders, : ; and -the;, regular, troops succeeded in the' end' in suppressing the risings. ; : Abdur Rhaman" was 'ruthless in his punishment of rebels,'- and for many years before his death he had his unruly subjects well under control. :•. The open bearing ; of arms was forbidden in certain tracts, and the greatest care was taken f that; none but the troops should have, weapons of precision. : This was a wise and far-seeing policy, for there were enemies of •-> his * dynasty waiting for'. an opportunity to raise fresh ; rebellions. Now, the Pioneer observes, "the whole position ; has ° been ; changed. .; The purchase of ); modem rifles :by the' > general population has actually been encouraged in.the - past two or three years, and the country - has received large supplies 'of arms and ammunition from the ;„ gunrunners of Muscat.., The great ;: tribes of Afghanistan have equipped ' , themselves with breechloaders; and they ; may : give serious trouble to their ruler. The difficulty of collecting revenue ,is said; to be extreme, and the State exchequer suffers in consequence. The Ameer was appar--1 ently led v to sanction . the traffic in arms by counsellors who plausibly described the, advantages of strengthening; the country against attack from outside, but ; : they may possibly have had ulterior objects in view. ; The only course now open totte Ameer is to stop "the; free purchase of rifles, and to forbid the sending of; caravans to the, Mekran ; coast. There may still ■ be time ' to prevent ; the > widespread demoralisation of his subjects, which can only end •in defiance of; his ; authority.;; A reversion to the; policy which his; father followed may' save?; him from ; chronic tribal rebellion, which is always, dangerous, even to the strongest ruler."