“Taranaki Central Press” FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1937. NORTH-WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 421, 30 April 1937, Page 4

“Taranaki Central Press” FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 1937. NORTH-WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE.

To mountainous Waziristan, in the North west Frontier Province, the Government of India, after giving due warning, has sent bombers against marauding tribesmen.

A cable message to-day has a reference to planes dropping leaflets instead of bombs, and the hillmen kneeling in awe about the notorious Fakir of Ipi, praising Allah “who turned the bombs into paper.”

Due warning is in accordance with British practice wherever the bomber is used. The Air Force starts only after 24 hours’ notice, and the advocates of air action, as opposed to ground action, contend that the former is not only more efficient but (and this will surprise many) more humane.

As to the first point, efficiency, they say it can reach spots otherwise inaccessible. It disconcerts the warrior by the certainty of punishment, combined with total inability to retaliate. Moreover, the bombers can return at any time. The saving in money is enormous, when the cost of ground operations is taken as the standard.

Finally, air action is accepted by the tribes as something like a judgment from heaven it hurts the pride of the haughty fighter less, and promotes his thirst for vengeance in a slighter degree than defeat by ground forces, against which he is accustomed to fancy himself.

On the second point, humanity, the argument advanced, is that it saves needless loss of life, both on the side of the Government forces and on the side of the rebels. The warning ensures that all but the most obstinate will vacate their villages for the time being, and the effectiveness of the lesson lies chiefly in the destruction of immovables. Once the bomber has shown what it can do, the threat of repeated raids is often sufficient to cause a rebellion to subside, or a habit of banditry to fall into disuse. This means further economy of bloodshed. It is even contended that the bomber is more discriminating than the ground column, since it can pick out a particular village which has become a menace, whereas the column might have to<operate against a whole valley.