INDIA'S TROUBLED FRONTIER

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 65, 10 December 1919, Page 7

INDIA'S TROUBLED FRONTIER

Till:: WAT; ON WAZIIiIS,

o?ec. December 9, 5.5. p.m.)

' Delhi, December 1, . J ho Indian Foreign Department has issued a statement explaining the events eaihii'.: (o iJ lt> Waziri.stan tnaible. The Department points out that while .inter--1 eriiisr as little as possible with tribal lndenendetiee. it has been necessary to maintain posts garrisoned by local militia within certain protected areas, notablv in bmier Tochi and Wana. In view of this partial occupation, and their lindcrtakimr not to raid othej- friendlv tribes or lirilisJi territory, the Wazirls and Mahsuds for many years have received liberal subsidies, and were treated with the utmost- consideration. When a concentration of Afghan forces rendered it necessare for the British to withamw the militia irom the outposts at Tochi and A\ ana in Mav. Waziristan turned against us. and.conducted numerous raids. In .lulv lliev informed Hie Afghan general that if the Afghans supplied rifle/ and money lliev would drive the British 'cms file River Indus. After jieaco with Afghanistan was signed the raids eontinueo'. and consequently the present punilive operations were undertaken in order to obtain security for the harassed border populations under British rule, and teach i-V recalcitrant tribes a tnurlineeded !es-"on —Renter.