The Evening Post. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1897. THE WAR IN BRITISH INDIA.

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 99, 23 October 1897, Page 4

The Evening Post. SATURDAY, OCTOBER 23, 1897. THE WAR IN BRITISH INDIA.

The fighting on the north-west frontier of India still continues, ajid Lord Elgin's Government is pouring troops as fast as it can into the disturbed districts. The position is far from easy to understand, and the condensed form in which news reaches us by cablegram makes it very difficult to follow the course of events intelligently. The present disaffection has extended over hundreds of miles on the Afghan border, but the disturbed or threatened districts may be grouped into four regions — (1) The Quetta and Solan Pass position, which dominates the wedge of British territory thrust in between the Ameer's dominions and Independent Baluchistan ; (2) the Kurani Pass, which commands the vaileys of the Kuram and Tochi Rivers, and lies to the north of Bannuchistan, where the present revolts began with • the attack on Mr. Gee's escort in June last ; (3) the country of the Orakzai, Afridi, and Mohinitnd tribes, situated about the Safed Koh range, the Khyber Pass, and the Cabul Ri ver, the very heart and centre of the trouble . and (4) the Swat Valley, to the north between Peshawar and Chitral. To grasp the situation it is necessary to glance at the past relations of each of these four regions with the Auglo-ludiau Empire. After the Afghan war of 1878-80 Lord Lytton, then Governor-Genera!, advocated the retention of a frontier which demanded the occupation of Kandahar on the south. Kuram in the centre, and Jalalabad on the Cabul River to the north. In 1880-81, however, the British withdrew from these positions, but at the Kandahar end stopped at Quetta, which the Government now holds with the Bolan Pass on a perpetual lease, signed in 1883, from the Khan of Khelat, an independent chief of Baluchistan. A railway running through the Bolan Pass connects Quetta with the Indian railway system. The position hai been much strengthened of late years, and is held in sufficient force to prevent any danger of serious complications in that quarter. In fact, the arrest of certain disaffected chiefs in Baluchistan and the prompt action of the officials in charge seem to have put an end to anything like organised revolt. The second region, commonly known as the Kuram Frontier, was abandoned by the Anglo-Indian Government at the same time as Kandahar, but owing to the quarrels of the tribes with the Afghans — mainly resulting from their belong* ing to different Mahommedan scots — the British re-occupied the country in a halfhearted way. Here, too, there is no reason to fear any great strain, but still the tribes are disaffected enough to require careful Watching. "Passing for the moment the great centre of revolt, we find that the Swat ' Valley in the extreme north of the disturbed area, first camfl under our influence at the time of the Chitral campaign of 1895, and there can be little doubt that the "forward" annexation policy of the present British Government" is largely responsible for the trouble tint has lately occurred in that region.

The occupation of Chitral was a distinct breaco. of pledges given to the natives by the Rosebery Cabinet, and was moreover opposed on grounds of practical policy by the civil and military authorities of India, with the exception of Lord Roberts. The British advance left seeds of disaffection, and tho preachings of a mad tnollah only accelerated a rising which was bound to occur sooner or later. Sir Bindon Blood has, however, succeeded in subduing the Swatees, and is now ready to turn his arms south against the more formidable tribes about the Khyber. The chief point of attaok on the British frontier has been undoubtedly the region between Kohat and Peshawar. The hardy mountaineers of this wild hill country are no mean foes, and they have never yet been really conquered. The Mohmands dwell along the north bank of the Cabul River, and have their chief town at Lalpura, whose Khan undertook the responsibility for the western outlet of the Pass from Landi Khana to Dakka. The Afridis occupy the mountains and valleys south of the Cabul, and have charge of the central and eastern parts of the Khyber. These two tribes are said to muster 43,000 fighting men between them. The Orakzais have their homes in the hills, north of Kohat and south of the Khyber ; they are much split up into clans and factions, but aggregate about 29,500 \\ amors. It is well always to bear in mind that the Khyber Pass has never been controlled by the Auglo-Indian Government. By the agreement of 1881 it was made over to the Afridis, and the British were precluded from interference with their arrangements for watch aud ward. The Indian Government, paid a subsidy, and could exact tolls t meet it, but the natives were obliged to keep and defend the Pass. The Khyber forts that were captured by the rebel tribes were garrisoned by their own kinsmen, and not by men of the Anglo-Indian Empire, although now Imperial forces are doing what the native Khans failed to accomplish.