26 NOVEMBER 1921, Page 2

The British Mission at Kabul signed a treaty with the

Ameer on Tuesday after ten months' negotiations. According to the India Office, the treaty recognizes once more the complete independence of Afghanistan and the existing frontier. Each Government will inform the other of any " major operation " necessary to check tribal lawlessness near the frontier. The Afghans will once again be allowed to import munitions by war of India. It is expressly stated that, before the treaty gag, signed, the Ameer gave " satisfactory written assurances that he would not permit. Russian consulates in the Jelallabad, Ghazni and Kandahar areas. These assurances would aPPear

to nullify parts of the treaty which ho made with the Bolsheviks last February. The Ameer may have come to the conclusion that the Bolsheviks are less dangerous than he thought them to be and that the British Raj, despite Mr. Montagu's weakness, is not crumbling away. If that is its real meaning, the treaty is a favourable sign. But the Ameer may not be able to fulfil the terms.