THE FRONTIER WAR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 179, 24 April 1908, Page 7

THE FRONTIER WAR.

HMD' TRIBES. HOW THEY BECAME INVOLVED. • ' - . •„. THE AMEER. BT TELEGRAPH—HIEBB ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT. Calcutta, April 22. During the operations >of General Willcocks's expedition againsttho Zakka Khel Afridis, tho mullahs induced tho Mohmands to raise a force to assist the Zakka Khols. The Mohmands arrived' too lato to assist tho Zakkas, who were forced into an early surrondor, owing to tho vigorous movements of tho British troops. .Being highly excited, the Mohmands' begam . raiding the Peshawar border. The Ameer is likely to recall the tribesmen whom his officials allowed to cross the Kabul River to join tho Mohmands. • AN UP-TO-DATE ORGANISATION. AMEER'S OFFICIALS. , MULLAHS ALLOWED A FREE HAND. (Rec. April 23, 11.45 p.m.) I London, April 23. The Simla correspondent of." The Times" reports that contingents from Afghanistan and Bajaor have been steadily, added to tho tribal gathering on tho Molimand frontier. The. existence.'of an organised system for the supply of food and ammunition indicates that there are arrangements in' the background which aro' different from the usual crude tribal system. . . ...' Fanatical preachers are active across the Afghan .border. The -Ameer's officials , are not making the slightest effort to check the Mullahs, who are exciting the .tribesmen.,.' General Willcocks remains, strictly ..on ..tho defensive. '. , HISTORY- REPEATED. 1 No doubt it is the Mohmancis (and not tne "Moe.smands," as previously cabled) against whom tho Indian Government—after suppressing the Zakka Khels at a total estimated cost of. ,£SO,OOO-raro now launching. a : columu. If the Mohmands and the ifi'idis—bf;whom the Zakka Khcls aro a section—have been stirred to joint revolt, history is merely repeating itself. ,On this occasion, the Mohmands arrived too late. As regards the attitude of the Ameer, on February '23 ," Tha Times" correspondent telegraphed that "the Governor of Jalalabad has summoned the headmen of: the Molimand. Shinwari, and Ningralar tribes, and, delivered to them the orders of the Ameer respecting the Zakka Khels. All the," "Afghau'. tribesmen are forbidden to assist the enemies of the British Government, which is in friendly alliaiico with Afghanistan." ■ "The Khyber Pass,"-says one authority, "has been adopted by the. British as thej'main road to Kabul, but its difficulties, before they were overcome by.-British engineers,'.were such that it was never so regarded by former rulers of India. The old road-to India left the Kabul river, near its junction with the Kunar,: and crossed ( the great divide between -tho Kunar valley and Bajaor, then it '.turned', southwards to the plains. The difficulty which the British authorities experienced, with, the Khyber was chiefly, in maintaining and' guarding' it a'gainsj; tribal, attack. The tribes occupying the inoun;, tains which; flankiit and tlie :: 'villag6s..'in its. imniediate neighbourhood aro the Zakka .Kliel Afridis. ' 'Farther to the north, -within- - the Kabul bend, and clustering in, the opeii spaces and uplands which lio beyond tho dominating peaks of Torsnnpa (5350 ft.). are the Mohmands, a tribo of Afghan, extpictipn, >yho, as a' rule,' give little trouble,' as : -they-possess,.commercial• and agricultural relations' in the' Peshawar valley." - »> ,i i-U• Tho year 1897 witnessed.'an almost, general outbreak anjoug the .tribes ,oii, the,npi;th-\yest frontier of India. The- Molimand raided ■: to within a few miles of Peshawar,"and the Afridis were also' active. . The- Mohmands .;iyere first dealt with, by a column iunder, Major-Gonefal Sir Bindon Blood,' 'who"'suppressed, the',tribes-, men after considerable fighting. . The . total' British loss in the Molimand Valley was 282 out of a, force which never exceeded' 1200 men. The Afridis were subsequently dealt with ■in the Tirah campaign. ; j " • .