The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-31

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sons in Indian politics and the revolts at
two points Of the frontier, give a more seri.
GUS look to affairs in that part Of the
British empire than the first reports
showed. The camp at Malakand, where
the principal fighting is reported to nave
taken place, is only some forty miles In q
direct line from Peshawur. the British
military base in northwest India, but the
roads through the Intervening country
from Mardan and Nisatta are said to be
blocked by hostile t%ribesmen, who have also
cut the telegraph wires. The country be.
tween Malakand and Chitral would appear
by this to be cut of from communication
with India, which Is u serious matter for
the small posts and garrisons along the
100 miles Of defles and mountain passes
that separate the two places. The warriors
whom the Mad MoULLAH has gathered
round him belong to the Swat Valley and
Bajaur, and are reputed among the ~fiercest
fighters on the Indian border. The infe-
riority Of their arms and their lack OF ar.
tillery, however, always tell against them,
and unless they have received from some
quarter better weapons han those with
which they met the British troops during
the last campaign, when their country was
annexed two years ago, their defeat Is a
foregone conclusion. What gives impor.
lance to this rising on the road to Chitral
In the north, Is that 1t comedies with the
outbreak in the Tochi Valley on the west.
ern frontier, and with the agitation among
the Mussulmans in the Bombay Presidency
and other parts of India.
1t may be assumed that the discomfort Ia
far more widespread han is generally
acknowledged, for reports have reached
England Of the despatch OF troops to the
Godavery district In southern India from
Madras to put down disturbances, without
any details being given. The arrest of
GANoUDHAR TILLAK, whose name has al
ready appeared in THE SUN as a prominent
agitator, and of the others reported from
Poona, shows that the British Government
aims to put down the disaffection among
the Mussulmans there by depriving the
people Of their leaders. But the Mussul.
mans are not the only ones whose pas.
sive loyalty has been turned into &C.
tive disaffection by the proceedings of
the sanitary officers, as the arrests of
the NATU brothers, who are Hindoos,
show. In the month of May last a
memorial was drawn up and signed by two
thousand of the natives Of Poona, Hin.
docs as well as Mussulmans, complaining
of the violence done to the religious and
social prejudices of the people, especially
In the treatment of the women In the
plague camps. by British officials. The
Indian Government made no inquiry as to
the truth Of the charges In the memorial
and made no reply or took any other notice
OF II or Its signers. The natural result of
this disregard of the respectful complaints
of the people, many of them we'll educated
and wealthy, showed itself in the agitation
which followed in the native-owned press.
1t would appear as II the Indian Govern.
ment had ~purposely acted as 1t did, to
bring about the present situation, in order
to strike the desired blow.
1.-THE discomfort Is deep and spread over the
whole country, as the signing of a memorial
by both Hindoos and Mussulmans seems to
imply, the policy adopted would appear to
be a dangerous one. A garrison of as, 900
British troops and a civil population of
about 10000 more would count for very
little If the masses of the Hindoo and Mus.
sulman inhabitants made common cause
the fidelity of the native troops should
happen to be touched, and the frontier
tribes rose In general revolt In sympathy.
Hitherto the British Government has re-
LIED on the separation between the Hindoos