The Hastings Standard Published Daily MONDAY, SEPT. 20, 1897 INDIAN FRONTIER TROUBLE.

Hastings Standard, Issue 430, 20 September 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily MONDAY, SEPT. 20, 1897 INDIAN FRONTIER TROUBLE.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

Theke is something about the preparations of the Indian Government for the subjugation of the tribulent frontier tribes that to us, fed only with scraps of information, seems incomprehensible. The trouble is obviously the work of Mollahs, and the chief instigator of the rebellious raids is, according to Indian files, Najib-ud-Din, the notorious Mollah of Haddah. He lives at the village of Jarobi, at the head of the Bohai Valley, in that part of the Molimand country which is under the Ameer of Afghanistan. He is known to have intimate relations with the Sipah Salar, General Ghulam Hyder, who commands the Ameer's forces in Eastern Afghanistan, with his headquarters at Jellalabad. He inflamed with his fanatacism the various frontier tribes from the Malakhand Pass in Chitral to the Tochi Valley. The intimate relations of the Haddah Mollah with the General commanding the Ameer's troops in Eastern Afganistan caused the Indian Government to address a sharp remonstrance to the Ameer, who made great public protestations of his unaltered frendliness to the British Government. His assurances were accepted, but nevertheless a very large force, no less than 59,000 strong, has been concentrated at the frontier, and the magnitude of the punitive expedition is inexplicable. When we are told that small garrisons are able to hold their own, or at worst if suffering defeat and annihilation, as the 22 Sikhs did the other day, they are able to slaughter wholesale the inefficiently equipped tribesmen, the strength of the punitive expedition is. astounding. There are all the preparations for a gteafc invading army being made ; indeed it would not be too much to say that if the intention of the Indian Government were to conquer Afghanistan itself a greater force would hardly be required. It is preposterous to suppose that this great army is necessary to hold in check or to subjugate badly armed and badly led, though warlike and brave tribesmen. And further, this great force is not being spread out to cover the whole frontier, but is being concentrated at Peshawar on the road to the Khyber Pass, though three divisions are on the wings of the main body, under the command respectively of Sirßindon Blood, Brigadier-General Elles, and Brigadier-General Yeatman Biggs. Though men and munitions of war have been hastily collected at the frontier outposts, very little has been done towards punishing the tribesmen, and the job is serious enough to need the personal-direction of Lieut-General Sir W. Lockhart, the Commander-in-Chief of the Forces in the Punjaub. The Chitral campaign of 1895 was carried through by Colonel Kelly, although General Lowe was the chief in command ; other frontier troubles have been quelled by junior commanding officers with fewer men. No doubt when General Sir W. Lockhart takes the offensive he will have to make allowances for contingencies, and one of those contingencies seems to be the possibility of having to march into Kabul. The Afghan character is notoriously eoceo-

trie and explosive, and incited by Mollabs the attitude of the Afghans is a serious menace. There is the danger of the trouble and disaffection spreading to Afghanistan, and we know that the religious element as a fuel is not wanting. The Sultan of Turkey, as the head of the Mahommedan faith, and the Ameer of Afghanistan have been exchanging compliments. Valuable presents were sent by the Great Assassin to the ruler of Kabul, and at the present time three Afghan chiefs are on a visit to the Sultan at Yildiz Kiosk, and it is more than probable that these three chiefs are the bearers of letters and presents from the Ameer. How far the Sultan of Turkey and the Ameer of Afghanistan are responsible for the display of religious fanaticism on the Indian frontier is an unknown matter, but that they are suspected of sympathising with the turbulent tribesmen is obvious. The extent of the trouble, it was stated some time ago by General Lord Boberts, would be in proportion to the favor with which the Ameer views the action of the tribesmen. The Ameer has publicly denounced the tribes, but who can tell what he is doing privately ? General Lockhart apparently has a huge contract in hand, and that the British will be successful there can be no doubt. However, we must wait a few days until the Commander-in-Chief has had time to get to the front and make his dispositions for the advance to understand what the campaign is likely to be.