New-York tribune., 1919-07-13

Colonial Fighting
Menuces India

after they run down duo south a. far
as the seaboard, assuming the name of
the Suleiman range and hedging in
India completely on the west. The In
dus River runs all the way right at
their feet to the India side Of them, 80
that the whole forms vast natural
fortificstion Of wall and ditch. When
an invader has forced the passes he
has still had to make good the passage
OF the broad Indus stream, and its
banks have witnessed not few desper
ate battles accordingly. Thus present
ed, the line Of the frontier is simple.
but 1t hes to be remembered that about
Its conformation with Afghanistan it
runs into many recessions, and its out
line Is like that Of a broken coast.
Moreover, the area is vast. and the
country itself chaotic mass Of noun
ta!ns and hills.
"Such country was difficult to sub
due or to hold In the old days, entail
Ing a great multiplication Of troops to
keep watch in the numerous valleys.
With aeroplanes and wireless the task
Of intelligence work will be much SIM
plifed, and mechanical transport will
facllitate the movements Of troops even
over these trackless wastes
"Peshawar itself, standing some few
miles from the entrance to the Khyber,
Is beautiful and striking city. T,
came to it first one mid-November.
when. the days were hot and sunny.
with the enticing warmth of the winter
day time, and the nights were foggy
and chill. The cantonment, with it's
long, smooth roads, bordered and al
most overarched by magnificent trees,
its stretches of greensward, and it's
gardens retreating back to the white
and blue walls Of the bungalows, put
ting one in mind Of Kew, is a sort Of
garden city Of the tropics where the
feast to the eye alone was pure
delight. And, as ever in these Indian
places. there was the vociferation of
bird and insect voices everywhere and
the subtle flash and CLINT Of wings in
and out the strawberries. BY nightfall
the air grew heavy with perfumes of
the roses which bloomed in profusion
everywhere, and mingled with it there
came from the native city and from the
servants quarters behind the bunga-
lows the pungent odors of native to-
bacco and wood fires The stars gilt
tered keenly above the fog, for it was
but a ground mist, and their spang1ed
masses were broken by the triangles
of blackness which showed where the
mountains walled in the dark, mystic
rlous Khyber. Presently there came
tapping an old man with a stick, and
I saw it was the chokedar. Then | !
saw that, unlike other parts of India, |
the stick he held in his hand was
spear and | remembered that here in
this city the night was apt to run wild
suddenly with heavy terrors. 1t is no
unusual matter for the outlying parts |
of the city to be raided of a night. The !
silence is suddenly broken by shots |
and shouts, there is the red glare of
few burning huts, and next morning
a much-gashed corpse or two in the
city hospital.
From the Afridi dwellings off the
road deep trenches lead on to the road |
itself, so that the inhabitants can
reach this sanctuary without exposing
themselves to the shots Of their neigh
bors. Life need never be dull for
most of them, since they are always
either waiting to shoot or be shot at.
Beyond the boundaries Of the can
tonment the smiling fertility of green
lawns and clambering roses abruptly
ceases, and one comes on all the stark
aridity of the frontier land The road !
runs through it all straight to Jamrud,
at the door of the pass, but either side
is waste country. brown and dusty, |
shimmering with the sum- broken no by /
dry nullahs and empty water channels !
with only tower dwelling here and ,
there, standing like lighthouse at |
sea. Naturally, cultivation does not
flourish, as it is impossible to live
comfortably with your neighbor tax
ing pot shots at you from his window.
From this wild region you can ride
back again and in ten minutes pass the
great green in front Of the club where
Englishmen in white Aannels are play
ing cricket and tennis or laundering
up and down on their polo ponies, while ,
English women in cool frocks sit in the |
verandas watching them and drinking
tea"