AERIAL BOMBING.

Waikato Times, Volume 111, Issue 18625, 3 May 1932, Page 11

AERIAL BOMBING.

HUMANE METHODS. ON INDIAN FRONTIER. On the north-west frontier of India restive tribes are dealt with by military airmen who bomb them into submisison. This (according to Father R. A. Malden, of Peshawar, who is at present visiting Wellington) is “the soundest thing ever devised” for quelling insurrection with a minimum of trouble and bloodshed. Father Malden, a genial bearded padre, who is sea-voyaging for health reasons, was a passenger on the Mataroa, from Southampton. For 13 years he lias been Roman Catholic chaplain to the British troops on the frontier. “Punitive bombing by the Royal Air Force squadrons on the frontier is en effective but humane business," he explained to a Dominion interviewer. “At one time, if the young men of a tribe raided some place or other, a British punitive column was sent out over the hills. The tribesmen are dead shots, and, what with the fighting that went on and the losses from sickness, the British columns suffered severely. When they reached their objective they solemnly blew up the houses of the offending tribe. This, however, did not bother the tribesmen greatly, because their houses are made of mud, and others were quickly built after the soldiers had gone. They Roared With Laughter. “When"' the tribesmen heard about the aeroplane bombing idea they roared with laughter. Allah knows that all Englishmen were mad, but here was madness of a still more ludicrous kind. The tribesmen were due for a surprise. By and bye another tribe went out on a raid. You must understand that the Inhabitants of the great No Man’s Land between India and Afghanistan that is called the Tribal Territory have spent the last thousand years raiding neighbouring areas, so It Is a little difllcult to break them of the habit. They live for the most part in a stony desert, and find it convenient to prey on the fat lands of the plains. “Well, when the British commander heard about the raid lie sent a message to the Khan or Malik telling him to stop playing up. The Khan went on with his raid, so the Air Force machines were despatched. First of all a warning was sent. This is always given, and the Inhabitants of the villages have plenty of time to get out of harm's way. “Down came the bombs, destroying the empty village and making that particular Khan’s valley uninhabitable. Soon the tribesmen who had gone out raiding found they were homeless. A man would come back and try to plough a ilttle patch of fertile soil which had taken years to clear and prepare. As soon as he began a bomb would drop, and in a twinkling his precious soil would be scattered all over tlie valley. The tribesmen soon stopped laughing. This was a onesided argument they very quickly understood, and soon peace was made, and a few hundred rifles handed over." Erstwhile Raiders Now Idle. One of the problems in the Tribal Territory, said Father Malden, was to find the inhabitants something to do. Raiding having been suppressed, these men were more or loss idle, so after bringing roads into the areas and opening up avenues of trade the Administration enlisted them as kassadhars, or tribal policemen. The Government supplied the hats, the tribes-

men the rifles, and off they went to look after their unruly relations. Referring to the reported activities of the Soviet in Afghanistan and along the frontier Father Malden said there was always a lot of anti-British propaganda in the territory, but where It came from was hard to say. However, as everyone knew, the Soviet was very fond of fishing in troubled vvaters. Afghanistan was now being ruled fairly ' successfully by Nadir- Shah, whose strong-arm methods were the only ones possible in that kingdom. King Amanulla, Nahir’s predecessor, had proved himself a fool. "He started life,” said Father Malden, “like any other Afghan king by murdering the ruling sovereign. That’s how you do it. However, he was seized by modern ideas. He started out for a tour of Europe and left his kingdom to run itself. You cannot do that sort of thing in Afghanistan. There your authority extends just as far as you can hit, and you have to keep on hitting. When Amanulla got back he found that Afghanistan had forgotten all about him, and he was very easily and speedily kicked out.” Federation, Not Home Rule. The idea of home rule for India, in the opinion of Father Malden, Is an impossible one. There are 222 different kinds of people. The only reason that could be given for the people of the south being given control over the people of the north was that they all lived in a continent which the British called “India.” From the point of view of the inhabitants there was no such place. Between peoples ranging from the Bliiis and Ghonds, who lived in thick jungle, and were absolutely Stone Age savages, to the often ragged but always haughty Brahmins, great gulfs were fixed. “It is quite useless saying to these peoples. ‘We shall leave you to settle the minorities questions among yourselves.’ Caste Is too strong. A federated India, which is both possible and practicable, is the only