The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-01-03
indian REBELS
SEE AIRPLANES
FOR FIRST Time
British Send Force To Pun
insh Troublesome Tribe
of Natives.

| Peshawar, Northwest Frontier Prov
ince. India, Nov. 11-{Corresponden
Of the Associated Press.)-The Mob
mands, a nom1nally independent and
ever turbulent tribe whose country
borders on administered British terri
tory in this region, having made them
selves generally Objectionable during
the past few months, have come III
for considerable attention at the hands
of the British recently. The latest
phase of the punishment being meted
out occurred today when troops en-
gagged in a drive which resulted in the
rounding up for internment Of 400
villages just inside the provincial do
mains.
| The Mohmands always have been
among the most troublesome of the
| tribesmen living in the Independent
! territory between the northeast from
| tier and Afghanistan. A year ago
| they made raids and committed muir
ders in the Pashawar district. AS h
penalty they were. forbidden to enter
the province to trade. Angered by
this, they began to threaten war and
several fights actually did take place.
At this time there were a large num-
Der Of Mohmands living in British ter
ritory. After the declaration Of hos
tilities by their brothers at home, most
of these government guests were sent
across the border Sir George Roos-
Keppe1, chief commissioner for the
northwest frontier province, then put
up along the Mohmand border a line
Of barbed wire ENHANCEMENT inter-
sected with strongly guarded block
houses. E
The government Of India at the
same time imported number Of air.
ships, the first ever seen in this part
OF the world and manned them with
experienced ,ayiators.
For a time these new methods OF
warfare puzzled the Mohmands and
they kept to their hills. but recently
they became more bold and succeeded
in cutting the barbed wire at one or,
two places and Committing small
thefts. Then 1t was that Sir George
Roos-Keppet played his trump card
by ordering the installation of live
wire which has been slung along the
whole Mohmand frontier, for a dis
lance of about II miles The fact
that this wire carries $500 volts and
means instant death co anyone rouch-
ing it, has become known by the
tribesmen and at present they are
contenting themselves with holding
pow-wows in the meetings and max
ing threats
Today's drive Is said to be unique
to this section of the world.
"Baramta'' is the name the ma
tfves give 1T, this being Hindustani
for "reprisaI." It was the privilege
OF correspondent of The Associated
Press to ride with the troops and
witness this unusual hunt, which
was for the purpose OF rounding up
all Mohmahds of a fighting age who
had not previously been driven across
the border.
The baramta was. divided into two
sections. one being In the narrow
angle formed by two branches of the
Kabul river and the other between
one of these branches and the barbed
wire ENHANCEMENT which forms a
junction with the river at the point
where 1t divides. The river and the
wire thus made two ''y" shaped traps.
| towards the points OF which the drive
was conducted. nothing in its path
being able to escape. for the Mob
mands could neither swim the river
nor force their way through the
guarded barbed wire.
The hunt began about ten miles
below the apex OF the traps. A solid
line OF troops was thrown across,
forming a triangle whose base ever
moved forward, gathering everything
in its way.
For the most part the Mohmands
offered no resistance. The four hun
dred Mohmands were brought back
to Peshawar from which place they
We're to be sent to an interment camp
until more peaceful times. 4