The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-11

The English speaking world has recently
been furnished with u vivid picture OF the
difficulties attendant upon q campaign in
Afghanistan, Where the troops. in the face
of o determined enemy, hare to maket their
way through precipitous defiles and over
almost inaccessible crags. Lieutenant w.
l.. Spencer Churchill, a scion of the great
Marlborough family, has just published a
book which has taken London by storm.
He details his experience with the Mala-
kand cxpeditionary force, and the picture
which he draws is by no means q reassur-
ing one for the British taxpayer, who will
eventually have to foot midas little bill
for campaign warfare. !.
1t is really a holy war, Islam against
the cross, and ranged under their sacred
banner the Afridis commit deeds of fanat-
ical heroism which excite the admiration
even of their enemies. Churchill tells us
how in the midst of a hot engagement o
rollah, or priest, would suddenly appear
on the pinnacle of some bcetling crag, his
long white hair flowing behind him, the
holy flag graspcd in his hand, encourag-
ing his followers, both by gesture n
voice, to renew their. heroic efforts. The
appearance Of the mollah always acted like
a talisman on the superstitious Afridis,
and he seemed indeed to bear q charmed
life, for, though the bullets whistled
around him, he was never touched.
The ilnpossibility of abandoning the
wounded makes fighting for the English
troops a very difficult matter. The At
ghans give no quarter. They have their
own code of honor, but it is rot the code
of the civilized world. To the erocity of
a Zulu they add the craft of a redskin and
the craftsmanship of a Boer. The world
is presented with the grim spectacle, 1.-THE
strength of civilization without its mercy"
1t seems strange to read of such barbaric
warfare in these advanced days, writes NJ.
Rose-Soley in the San Francisco Call;
but, as a matter of fact, the strife is al
ways going on. 1t is one of the lcgacies OF
trouble which Great Britain's magnificent
possessions in India have brought her.
Afghanistan itself, which now forms the
only boundary between Russia in Asia
and England in India, is merely a collec-
ton of unruly hill tribes, wild mountain
GERS whom no government can tame. Even
the ameer of Afghanistan has no power
to keep them in check, though his rule is
absolutely despotic, and he enforces order
by the sword only. The country has never
been subdued by any monarch. The hardy
hill tribes that inhabit the businesses of
the Hindoo Kush and the Himalaya ranges
will pay tribute to no one, though they
are always ready to rob and murder when
ever opportunity occurs.
The very name of the state Is of quite
modern origin and is due to the Persians,
who made a show of conquering the lan
in 1873. The Persian rule, however, did
not last long, and the country returned to
its own unsettled condition, nominally
ruled by whoever could seize the throne,
might being always right and law and
justice nowhere.
This constant state of activity and un-
rest has made the Afghans II of the
finest fighting races in the world, as the
British have time and again found out to
their cost. Despite the large force which
was sent against the Afridis last autumn
the tribes are still ~unsubdued, and the task
will all nave to be done over again as soon
as the return Of spring renders renewed
fighting possible.
The mountainous nature of the country
gives its defenders every advantage. 1t is
but a succession of precipitous ranges,
each one forming an imprcgnable position,
which a few determined men can hold
against thousands. And when, as at
DdIS0l, OlC - SpPoe~(A t-t%
great gallantry and loss of life the victors
are only confronted with another n
equally strong position, which must like
wise be stormed. The difficulty Of obtain
ing supplies and keeping open the line Of
communication renders the movement Of
any very largo force impossible, and The
only way in which victory car eventually
be secured is by hemming the tribes up on
some mountain top and literally starving
them into submission.
This style of border warfare is no new
thing to the guides and other regiments
which constantly patrol the northwest
frontier of India. The only difference is
that of size. The expedition against the
Afridis was undertaken on an extensive
scale; therefore it was called o war. Tho
small expeditions which are constantly
going on to discipline some unruly tribe
or other are never officially recognized in
this light. Tho government of India pru-
IDENTIFY says as little about them as possible,
and tho British public never realizes that
another successful little war has been
brought to a termination. Sometimes, as
at Cultural, the massacrco OF q British party
throws a CHASTITY light on the affair, and
1t becomes necessary tooccupy tho country,
in force. Az other tiincs tho troops. hay