We receive so. many reports of the Bolshevist influence in Afghans) stan that the views of a young Afghan. official who has recently arrived in Delhi are not without interest. He stated emphatically that. there was no danger thet Bolshevist principles would ever! take root in bes land inasmuch as the present King is very popular and secondly because the social [system of the country did not suffer! from those abuses which would make it a prey to Bolshevism. This young oficial is quite a westernized product, having received his diplomatic training in London and wisitfed most of the Continental countries for the purpose of enlarging: his experience. He gave a highly favourable account of Afghanistan's progress. Trade was being con-Siderably developed in other coun-ready Kabul abounded' houses ran on!
Industrially, too, his country was making enormous they had safeguarded their position by the levy of a 50 per cent. duty on foreign goods which were likely to compete with! ative products, A law prohibited! the wearing of foreign cloth, for! instance. The industrial organiza-tim was being built up as the! result of special training which! Afghans received in various countries by State help. The most! urgent need of Afghanistan, admitted, was the development of communications. There was hard ly a proper railway in the country and they were planning one which would be opened at an early date. They put more faith in motor transport, however, as it was] believed that the country was best suited to this form of communications, and as a consequence they' Iwere preparing schemes to establish 8 network of ronds throughout the country.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.