AFGHAN GUERRILLAS.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 191, 7 May 1908, Page 7

AFGHAN GUERRILLAS.

STRONG BRITISH FORCE. The tribesmen harvesting. •. ..v INDIAN. PRINCES' OFFERS. DT TELEGRAPH —rHES3 ASSOCIATION—COPYRIGHT, Calcutta, May 5. General Willcocks controls twenty-five thousand British and native troops on the froijtior. ■ During yesterday's fighting, Lieut. Campbell,'of "tho Fortieth Pathaiis, received a gunshot wound in the thigh. A private of tho. Royal MunsterrFusiliors. and a Sepoy of the .Khaibar Rifles were' also wounded. '. Sufi,-the-Afghan leader, is reported to be near Thatsoti pass with a small following. London, May 5. . Routor's correspondent reports that a majority of tho Zakka Khels are sowing maize afciMardan,. a'. village .. about twentytwo- miles west of Kabul. ■ Those in the Bazar: valloy threaten to oppose Sufi's ad- . vance. Tho Mohmands are harresttng. -Several Indian Maharajahs have oilored thomselves < for Imperial 'service, and have placed ; troops at the disposal of the Govern- . ■ ment.. ; / ■ OF/11 NOUS SILENCE OF KABUL. AFGHANS AND THE GUNS. ;'(Roo. May 6, 11.10 p.m.) . Calcutta, May 6, , • The troops mobilised on tho north-west fpontior of India comprise 31. battalions of infantry and 16 squadrons of cavalry, with ;64 guns. . ■ / . . London, May 6. . Tho continued silence of tho Kabul aui thorities regarding tho frontier , raids is viewed with gravo suspicion in Britain. '.: ' MULLAHS NOT SHELL-PROOF. • (Rec; May 6, 11.50 p.m.) • ' ■ Calcutta, May. 6. ' Tho result of .Monday's fight has . dis- ' credited , Sufi .' Sahib in' his efforts to' rouse . the Afridis. Ho and his followers have returned 'to Afghanistan., ' r. ■ V The fight showod that the Afghans wcro quite unable to faco tho artillory. Their final retreat'was'precipitate.. A . shell' killed' three 1 Mullahs, 1 who jwero ''hiding' in d ravine.' ' .. . • i : PASSING OF THE JEZAIL. v.The -passing<.pf .the, jezail. and. the .advent of . the modern, rifle.constitute a potent factor in Indian frontier, warfare. 'Writes " The Times " military',' correspondent :—" Every ".. year.. .:,and every, day that we refuse to. face our responsibilities upon.the frontier we render the task of our troops: more' difficult i of ■ accomplishment. The trade in arms of precision, surreptitiously carried|on;both from the Gulf, from Afghanistan,and from . India as well, has totally changed the ' character .of frontier warfare. . Fifty years ago we were in the' days of: the jezailSj'and ythe rush of. swordsmen was the t worst' danger : we .had to' .face. . Twenty rears "ago riot 1 more :than !; 10 per cent. r of' the fighting "-men-'were armed with modern weapons. Since then, the insecurity of life in the Pathan republics and: the high prices offered for ■ good rifles have;, led to ail/all too lucrative' trade, • twhich;has now provided the majority of the : fighting.men with arms of precision.. There is' . no better man than a Pathan on'the hill side, •-and* as, stalker,'and skirmisher, ho is nearly, if not quite, \innvalled."