The Rebellion in India.

Hastings Standard, Issue 413, 31 August 1897, Page 4

The Rebellion in India.

THE CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE. • THE REPORTS PROBABLY EXAGGERATED. In connection with the disturbance, a reporter from the Ofcsgo Daily Thm-3 waited upon Lieutenant-Colonel Webb on Thursday with a view to gaining his opinion on the matter. In replies to questions, he stated that the cause of the rising was problematical, but, in a great measure, it would doubtless be due to the recent Turkish successes, a garbled account of which would have reached the tribes now in rebellion through the mollahs, or native priest 3. The mollahs, perhaps, had been preaching that there was going to be a boom in Islam ism, and thus incited them to insurrection. In reply to a question as to whether the rising was in any way coincident with the recent riots and disorder in connection with the famine and plague visitation, Lieutenant - Colonel Webb replied that it was not. " There are two troubles in India at the present time, arising out of distinct and separate circumstances," he added. " The first is that just reported by cable as having occurred in the north, and the second, in the south, is the outcome of the famine, the plague, the earthquake, the depreciation of silver, and seditious articles of the vernicular press. The plague and the press articles are the two chief and most fertile causes of the trouble referred to."

" What is the nature of the locality in which the rising referred to in this morning's paper has occurred?" was the next question. " It has occurred," LieutenantColonel Webb said, " In the northwest frontier, and the insurrectionaries —the Afridis—are hill tribes. They live on the frontier of Afghanistan. We have never had any organised fighting against them. They are principally thieves who come down in small bands and steal from the Peshawar—a large military station. Detachments have been despatched occasionally to punish them for these raids, but the British troops have never systematically attacked them." Asked as to whether he regarded the situation as disclosed in the cable messages to be of a serious character, Lieut.-Colonel W r ebb stated that he was of opinion that the whole affair would turn out to have been greatly exaggerated. Much of it was unintelligible, for places were reported to be either captured or in danger which, so far as he knew, had no existence at all. " The places mentymed as forts," he stated, " are really only small mud breastworks garrisoned by Kbyber levies. These are simply native police. They are armed with Snider carbines. Their duties are to prevent thieving, smuggling and preserve something like order, and they rejoice in the name of ' Catch-'em-alive.' The statement, therefore, that four companies of British infantry and a detachment of dragoons and artillery have been sent to defend the forts, requires further explanation." " The cable stated," the reporter added, "that British forts at Mardha, twenty miles to the south of Manipur, and Ali Musjid have been captured, and a columfl is hurrying to the relief of Mardha." " As regards Mardha," Colonel Webb replied, " I cannot assist you. I never heard of such a place, and there is no such place mentioned on the map. If there is a fort there it must be an insignificant outpost. It must be a cable error. It may refer to some other place. Manipni is referred to in the same paragraph. The only Manipur on the map is in Upper Burmab, and over a thousand miles away." " Then, again, a Fort Maude is said to have been captured, the garrison being compelled to retire, losing thirty men ? " " I have never heard of Fort Maude either. It is probably one of those advance posts held by the Ifhyber levies or native police. These posts line the hills around, and the head - quarters are Peshawar under Colonel Warhurton. The cable I notice, states that Sadda and Papa, described as two fortified posts, are* surrounded, and a relief force has set out from Kohat, Kohat is six days' march from Peshawar, and there is a garrison of native troops there under British officers. Sadda and Papa will also be small outposts. The reported action of the Mohmands (another hill tribe) in burning the sacred books of the Sikh temples, and thus arousing the indignation of the Sikhs, if such a thing has occurred, is a good thing for the British. The Sikhs are our best fighting troops in India. They are the biggest men there, and come from the Punjaub. The force under Brigadier Ellis," Colonel Webb went on to say, " will probably be in the Malakand Pass, as on the top of the pass a garrison of British troops is situated." " An uneasy feeling, according to the cable," the reporter pointed out, " prevails at Quetta with regard to the safety of a place named Parachiner, six days' journey from Kohat ? " "That I cannot understand, and theie must be some mistake here again. Quetta is almost 300 miles away in a direct line from Kohat, and there are no roads or any other mode of communication between them. At Peshawar there are two British battalions stationed, comprising the battery of field artillery, two regiments of native infantry and two of native cavalry. All these native regiments are officered by British officers." Colonel Webb then went on to say : —" As beating on your questions I will read you an extract from a letter I received by last mail, dated Simla, July B:—' Things are in a parlous state in this country just now. The plague is almost over, famine is at its worst, and again this year the monsoon lco'is like being a failure, though of course there is time yet for the rains to come and improve the prospect. A«

earthquake in Calcutta and Assam has done a fearful lot of damage, and just at present Calcutta is more or less in the hands of a mob. There has been serious rioting there for days past on the part of the Mohatnmeclans, directed principally against Europeans. Of cour-o this will be suppressed easily, but a*, the start the authorities acted very weakly, and in consequence things have been allowed to assume serious proportions. You will have heard of the Maizar affair on the frontier, where sixty men out of less than three hundred were casualties. The punitive expedition in connection with this is now collecting at Bannu, and move up the Tochi next week. There are, only two British regiments with the force—the 23rd and 4th Rifle Brigade. They will probably not have much fighting, as the tribesmen, in their usual manner, will most likely ' vamoose' over the Afghan border. I heard a rumor, on fairly good authority, uhat the force, after rubbing down the scene of the late attack, will be cantoned on the hilltops—the heat there at this time of the year is awful —and about October a large force will probably scour the country. In that case some of our Imperial service regiments will probably go up."