Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-09-06
British Troops in India Still Have
Access to Afghanistan.
ROUTES TO GHANZI and KANDAHAR
Would Only Be Used, However, in
Case of Great Necessity.
DANGERS OF THE PASSES

Reports received in this country Of the
situation in India would seem to indicate
that the two principal passes leading into
Afghanistan being now in the hands of
the rebellious natives. commerce with that
country has practically stopped. and until
the passes are opened it will be useless for
the British to try to punish the Ameer of
Afghanistar. if they minded. This
is not the case, however. as a glance at the
accompanying map. the property of Col
Frank F. Hider. late of her majesty's
forces in India. will show.
1t is true that the Afridis are in control
of all the stations in the Khyber and Kohat
passes. though dispatches would seem to
indicate that they have deserted the passes,
but it is also true that there are two other
passes, the one having for its ultimate
object the city of Kandahar and the other
road running from kandah3r. through
Ghazni. through to Cabul the capital of
Afghanistan. and by this means ii is pcs
sible for the British forces to take the
Afridis in the rear This road is the one
which was made celebrated by Lord Fred
erick Roberts march to kanddht-, but il
is not likely to be used for military pur-
poses except in case of great necessity.
PASSES Are Very Valuable.
According to Col. HIder these passes
are OF great service, ana cOHSll'ulG Il lea
ture of the situation that has not as yet
been taken seriously into consdera don.
England sends millions Of dollars worth
of manufactured articles every year into
Afghanistan, practically supplying that
country and in return. buys enormous
quantities of wool. practically supplying
the looms of India by this means and hav-
ing left good deal Of the raw material to
send home to the mother country.
The blockade of the Ehyoer and kohat
passes will somewhat affect this trade. and
if the uprising continues On the increase
the trade, which is of serious Importance
10 the welfare of India, particularly in
this season of famine and distress. IS liable
to be seriously affected by The general rest
lcssness of the tribes innabting these
mountain districts.
IL has been stated in a number of arti-
cles that the roads leading through the
passes are practically inacce sSib'e to artil-
lery. but Col. Hilder says that this is not
so. The roads not roads in our sense
of the term. being simply trails following
the dry beds OF the mOuntlin torrents, but
they have been used so murh in late years
that a tolerahle roadway has been obtained.
and the British will not suffer in the slight
est from the want of artillery. The light
field guns and mountain batteries can be
taken through with ease, AMI, il Y becomes
necessary. even heavy siege guns cal be
carried through by elephants dragging
them on sledses.
Greatest Element of Danger.
The one element of danger in getting
through these passes has not been consid-
cred so much, and that is that they are
simply clefts through the mountains, 50
situated that strong skirmishinS force
must be kept at their tops to prevent the
natives from throwing rocks down the
troops. They have employed the rock
throwing tactics several times to advantage
and consequently IL is surmised that the
AfridiS have abandoned the a
stated. but gathering together the
sinews of war. so as TO be ready for the
real tussle which will come when the Brit
ish troops move forward to open up the
passes.
While it would seem that the natives
have the advantage in mountain work yet
this has been reduced to minimum by the
presence Of a number of regiments of
GOurkhas, which have been hurried forward.
The GOurkhaS are mountareers from Ne
paul. they are small, but as tough and en-
during as mountain cats. aud their loyalty
ard co rage ha e n YER been toun waning
not even during the terrible times of the
Sepoy rebellion. Besides being equipped
and armed in regulation style. the Gour-
khas can oppose the ''tulwar' of the Afri-
dis with knife of their own. This Gour-
kha knife strongly resembles an English
bill-hook. used for pruning trees. and il
consists of a curved, sickle-shaped blade
with heavy straight back running to a
right angle at the point Strictly speaking.
there is no point, and consequently the
Gourkha limits himself to dealing a slash
ing blow, which however, he does with ter
rible effect. These Gourkhas are Rudd-
hists. rot Mohammedans, and consequently
there Is no danger of them turning traitors
the way the Khyber Rifles did.
Anent the khyber Rifles
AS matter of fact. how ever the disarm.
Ing of the latter has been magnified into an
Importance that is really not warranted
The khyber Rifles were simply irregulars
In the pay of the British government, but
they were Differed by their own people
and their sole duty was to protect travellers
and tGacesnen going through the passes