Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-19
UNREST FELT ON
INDIAN FRONTIER
NEWS OF RAIDS AND 0UTRAGES
COME FROM BORDER
NATIVES ARM THEMSELVES WITH
HIGH CLASS RIFLES
British Dread Another Expedition to
WiIds of Afghanlstan, Realizing
Increased Difficulties to Be
Encountered

Is causing the authorities some uneasl-
ness. The attitude of the Wazlr trlpe'
which includes the Mahsud khel, Is es-
pecially viewed with increasing ahN-
iety. The Mahsud alone are sald TO pS
able to nut from $4,000 to 10000 Wen
armed men in the field, with the fur
ther probability of being able to COM
mand the assistance of the ShinWaris'
and through the ShinWarls Oh til'
ameer's Khasadars and of other IT.
regular troops. tito.
campaign against small tribes like
tbe Mohmands or the Zakka Khel is a
very different thing from campaign
in Waziristan. To deal adequately
with the Mahsud Khel it would De
necessary to mobilize two, II not three,
divisions, and there would always pe
the possibility of other tribes catchhB
fire. together with the risk which must
be guarded against of such proVocd-
tion from the Afghans as would neces-
state the crossing of the Durand llne
to punish them. There is therefore
hanging over the frontier the posi-
bi1itv of a campaign of greater maghl-
tude than that of 1897 and 1t Is no Woll-
der that Simla is feeling uneasy.
The causes of Wazir unrest are easy
to trace Pathans of course are al
ways ready to fight, and the wars
thanks to the extensive trahc IN war
like weapons, are better armed tndn sii
campaign. But apart from that 1act
It is pointed out that the Mullah 20
windah whose jealousles kept MN
idle on that occasion, is extending the
remarkable influence he already Wlelus
and becoming ominously active.
The mullah, it is said, has only taken
I'M his abode with the Wazirs because
he thinks they will best serve MS Puf-
nose of making trouble with the BTU
ish. He is described as being AM.
mated by a most fanatical hatred o.
Europeans" and, being man OF char-
acter and a powerful preacher, ne can
find a following wherever he goes
Calls British Power Myth
There is a story that he once served
as a fireman on board snip, anu eau
therefore speak with authority on Eu-
ropean subjects Having seen LONDON
with his own eyes, he is able to inform
the Pathans that the British power Is
a myth, and they eagerly pelleYe ms
falsehoods about the sultan of Roum,
and how the latter has alreaoy qeaiI
With the Fernghis.
To show what influence he has al
ready gained over the WSNirs, the lat
est report about him is that S0OO trlpes-
men at Maxim have proclaimed nun
khalifa and sworn to obey MN as lnelr
king. The Wazir organization is IN
tensely democratic. They do not even
possess khans, as in Swat, or mallks,
as among the Afridis. Every Wazlr is
a law unto himself, and it is most
significant thing that the tribesmen
should have been ready to swear away
their Independence departure they
would certainly not have made had
thew not felt that some serious event
was impending.
In its comments on the situation the
Statesman says Had the nterna-
tional situation in India been what II
was a decade ogo. and had the hnances
been as fiourishing as they were, there
is no question of the course the gov
eminent of InGia would have urged the
secretary of state to sanction. All the
trooDs necessary would have been mo-
bilized and the Wazirs taught severe
lesson, Afghanistan or no Afghanlstan,
such a course might still be forced
on us, but it is evident the government
cannot undertake the responsibility OF
81 first class campaign on the frontier
without serious misgivings. To begin
with. there is no military risk. AS the
tribesmen obtain arms of better pre-
cision, so grow the difficulties ana dan-
gers of campaigning in the mus.
i"The army in India may be trusted
to carry out any task set before it,
but the expense in blood and treasure
must grow and the anxieties OF the
government be greater. And the pres
ent is not a time when the govern
ment can afford to have more
anxieties."
Raids and Outraees Occur
Frontier news just now is all of raids
and outrages. Less thar month age
600 sheep were carried off close to Jel-
lalabad, and few days later tWo
Khasadars employed in the customs
were murdered on the high road. ISe
city itself is strictly guarded. 1t now
closes its gates each evening, and nc
person can enter or leave during the
hours of night.
A Lahore correspondent states the
raids are exciting a good deal of attn
tion in local Hin u circles, and pun
dit has made a specific suggestion
He advocates the settlng up of feuda
system in the disturbed regions ano
the apportioning of tracts of land
among some valorou5 and loyal Hindu
and Sikh sardars, who would pay rev,
enue to the supreme government anc
retain their own troops.
He further suggests TIE distribution
of arms among the ablebodied Hindu
peasants possessing some property
and also among some loyal Moham
medans, and proposes the raising o.
volunteer corps from the Jats anc
Silxhs of the province.
With regard to the busy trattc II
arms, the Pioneer notes that while the
Amir of Kabul is encouraging the trade
in Afghanistan proper, "he does MOI
show the least inclination to assis
directly in furnishing the rifles an6
ammunition to tribesmen within the
sphere of British political influence
Exception may, perhaps, be made II
respect of the Mohm-. .nds, but that tribe
is so placed that it is difficult to dis
criminate between sections which pro
fess allegiance to Kabul and other:
which have relations with our politica
officers"
AS regards ouch important clans as
the Afridis and Mahsuds all their re.
quests for arms have been rejected BY
the amir. Even the Mullah Powindah
who is given to sending deputations to
Kabul, has completely failed to attain
the object that he has in view.
The Afghan government, in short, has
no objection to it's own tribesmen buy
ing arms, so long as they can pay for
them, but it will not make presents to
lawless sections on the borderland. The
latter must get their rifles from
traders, and this they are doing. Their
rapid rearmament is serious matter
enough, but the position would be ag-
gravated if they were allowed to draw
freely on stocks that have been ac-
cumulated in Kabul.
High Class Rifles Made
According to a Simla correspondent,
the factories in Kabul are now turn
Ing out quite excellent seven-shot re
peating rifles, and these are being dis
tributed among the Afghan troops at