The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1908. INDIAN FRONTIER TROUBLEB.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXII, Issue 12395, 20 February 1908, Page 4

The Wanganui Herald. [PUBLISHED DAILY.] THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1908. INDIAN FRONTIER TROUBLEB.

Thk rapidity with which the British punitive expedition in India, under MajorGeneral Willcocks, has operated appears to have disconcerted and taken by surprise the Afridi or Zakka tribesmen on the frontier, who have been giving so much trouble of late. Towards the end of last year they shot several members of the Khyber Rifles on the roads of the Peshawar district. Then a transport post was raided and. some mules were driven off. Sheep were stolen from a village within a |£ew miles of_Peshawar, in British territory^ and when the villagers attempted to rescue them the raiders, who are arm»d with Martinis but lack a good supply of ammunition, drove them off with their rifles. Small parties of troops were sent to protect the villagers/ and jestore if possible the lost property, but, as has so frequently happened, in mountain fastnesses, the raiders were not to be found, though occasional sniping told 7 that they were not far off. This fact was brought forcibly home to some troops on the Cherat Road, who were attacked at night, witlr* the Teault that a native sergeant and 'a driver were wounded and forty mules were captured. It appears that the Zakkas on this occasion were led by a native named Multan, who has earned considerable notoriety amongst the villagers foe. his daring raids. Subsequently the tribesmen attaked a village on the border, but the people were on the *alert and drove, them off. Then, in passing through a district inhabited by a peaceful tribe, "Zakkas apparently started looting again, but this time they were beaten and their plunder was taken from them, the mules being driven back to the i-earest British post. When the country l^ad settled down after

/ this experience the Zakkas returned, and minor thefts and sniping were reported from several villages. All these troubles occurred within a few milts of Peshawar,' in a district under British rule, and tho raiders came in from the Afghan side of the frontier? So far a& tlie present expedition under General Willcoclp \s concerned, no very serious trouble need be anticipated, for already the British troops have occupied the principal passe.? and strongest positions in the *spliere of operations, which is very limited, covering only an area of 20 by 10 miles, although the ground is %f % very difficult nature for military operations. Chief interest centres jn the incident by reason of the fact that the military operations are to be regarded as a. test of the efficiency of the army r - organisation which Lord Kitchener has been carrying out in ' India for the last two or three years. He has been faced with grr»at difficulties, not the least of which was the opposition of Lord Curzon, Viceroy of India; but tin indomitable energy and will of th« h<>ro of Omdtirman heve been" brought to bear with excellent re,suUs The Indian Army is now on a much more satisfactory footing than it was be fore. Its aggregate strength is 337,806, and it is in a high state of efficiency. The transport service has been immensely imprwcdf a staff college has been establish 1 ed, additions have been made to soldiers' pay, powder, ammunition, gun, and clotning '"factories ani stores have been established, the horse and field batteries have been re-armed with modern quick-firing guns, the coast defences have been greatly strengthened, reserves of arms and amm** nition have been provided, better telephone equipment and improvements in general efficiency' have also resulted, while not the least important feature observable as the outcome of Lord Kitchener's heavy task is the improvement in the health of th* Army. The expedition against the Zakkas has further -demonstrated the capabilities of Lord Kitchener as an army organiser, and added to his reputation as Commander-in-Chief. '