THE INDIAN FRONTIER.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 932, 27 September 1910, Page 5

THE INDIAN FRONTIER.

UNREPENTANT -TRIBESMEN. , ' By Telegraph—Prees Association—Copyright . . (Ree. September' 26,' 11.25 . p.m.) / - . -. Calcutta, September 26. . Before closing the. Kohat Pass,:on- the Afghanistan frontier, the Trafflo-Commis-sioner for -the" north-west: frontier : provinces, mot the,.tribesmen in,a jirgah or council. . .. . ... ,' . ...Instead of showing..contrition: over the Adam Khels' raids, ; they; demanded com-. pensation for their' losses in consequence of the stoppage of tho. traffic in arms. - ; The Amoar received a deputation of dis--appointed 'Afridi- dealers : :in. armsj and' consoled: .them; with:, gifts .of money-and payment for the journey home. The affair of March lliat Pahari Khel, near Bannu, in which . Captain Stirling and several men. lost their lives, was tho opening of a restless summer among the tribesmen of the .Waziristan: section of the-North-West Frontier of.lndian: There is scarcely a day, wrote "Tho Times" respondent in April last, when some noted "badmash" does not . disappear, from bis, mountain village, and this is the usual' signal for trouble somewhoro in the plain below. The strain of keeping constantly on the alert is already sevore on the' Border Military Police and the'Bannu'gar-" rison. ■■■ .The Government, tho correspondent/con-tinued,-had been alert, and tho 1 villagers all aloM this part of the frontier hav», during .'the' last i three weeks, .been' armed with good rifles. ' Over three thousand rifles and -sisty ihousahd,:rounds' of'.ariimumtion have already, been- distributed, thus placing . the villagers on an .equal footing with raiders., It should'-be v understood that raiding, "is, directed : chiefly against villages, so that all Pathaii British subjects' are. in complete:" sympathy with the Government.. The experiment of arming the rural population ' has. been triod with marked success in Yusufzai, Kurram, and Kohat.