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EX-KING OF AFGHANISTAN

He stirred up a spirit of indignation among his
Ministers. He egged himself on to smart at the insult
which he considered he, as Amir, was continually
3ffered.

If the truth be told, there was some justification for
the reports of Great Britain's military weakness in the
north of India. It was not so noticeable as to justify
AmanuILah's hope, but there were grains of truth behind
the assumption. Indian troops had just returned from.
France, but the British drafts, which according to
programme should have set sail for India on the usual
annual programmes, were being delayed, largely through
the muddle of demobilisation at home and the difficulty
of hurrying back to normal after the great upheaval.
It was inevitable that the spirit of the times should
be one of relaxation, and revulsion against warfare.
The Army was resting on laurels gained through four
hectic years.

War on the Frontier was the very thing to be avoided.
It was fortunate, therefore, that the wish to avoid war
did not obscure the fact that war was probable. If
military advisers had not suddenly awoken to the fact
that Amanullah was determined and dangerous, there
would have been many more chapters of bloodshed
following on his accession to the Amir's throne.

Events moved rapidly. Within a few weeks there
could be no blinking the fact that intentional insults,
and offences against the Frontier laws, were being
offered. Reports were frequent of armed bodies of
men moving just the other side of the Frontier. At
any moment the first blow might be struck. Amanullah,
at this crisis in his life, was calm and determined, happy
in the knowledge that at last he was to see his military
machine moving.

He had counted, with confidence, on the aid of the

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