INDIAN FRONTIER WAR

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 81, 31 December 1919, Page 7

INDIAN FRONTIER WAR

PEACE TERMS FOR MAHSUDS

ENFORCING* SURRENDER OF RIFLES (liy Telegraph-Press Association-Copyright (Roc, December .10, 7.45 p.m.) Delhi, December 20. It will bo necessary for a forco to remain in tho Mahsud country to ensure tho faithful carrying out of the pcaco terms and to enforce the surrender of rifles. Tho latter will bo difficult, ns tho fanatical tribesmen havo not before possessed arms and prize them highly. A column iinust now presumably proceed against the Wnna Wazirs, to which terms have not yet been dictated. Experience against tho Mahsuds has shown, tho futility of dictating terms without a strong forco to back up our demands. The majority of tho Mahsud chiefs liavo now arrived at Jandala. It is believed that when they meot General Climo tlfey will sign tho acceptaneo of nil terms. Colonel Skeen's column to-morrow will march on Kolkai, which is said to bo tho supply depot of tho Mahsud army. It is ■ significant (hat'Musa Khan, tho most relentless Mahsud chicfi who controls the most northern Mahsuds, and who has contemptuously kept awav from Jandala, is* now at Kotkai, with Fayildin, another intractable fanatic, with a forco of fivo hundred Wann Wazirs and fivo hundred Mahsuds. It is not supposed that they aro desirous of cheering- the entry of tho column into Kotkai, and it will not bo surprising, therefore, if to-morrow witnesses tho l«6t stand of tho tribesmen in this region. Tho Wann. Wazirs were ngainst tho operations just concluded, or it,is probable that they would havo put nt least three thousand'fighting men into . the field.—Router.