THE MOHMANDS' RISING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 107, 27 April 1908, Page 3

THE MOHMANDS' RISING.

m* IIOSTTLITT KS COMMENCED.

Calcutta. April 24. the Mohuuiids arc lic'coming more .>ggre--.ivv. Two brigade* Imv,. u-cn ordered i„» ••oncvinra-i- o n tlif Isii'dcr under (ion-' vral Willcocks. A third has berti orders! to march to lVsliaiwur as a reGeneral Willcock- has 32(10 men and is jpiu>. Hi, fore holds a front of 1.,' nines, from Michni to AUizai. with a -trc.ng tTliti.il po-itinii at Nhabakdur. lhe MolmiaiicL, cling to the lii!lis,and' ■liara-- tin- troops Iry -"ntping. Hie Holy War is preached" ove* th" whole area between the K,„iar and' iranjkora rivers to -lauded. Shells <li>iwT;sfit si large bn.lv »liit-li' wus advancing on Gazhi-udar. Huli, ;i mullah, will, 311011 nun, rHaclled Gundabinulla. , The BriU-4i repubsed an attack on Adiaa* bridge. The MoliinaiidA while looting a vil- ' lagc within the It'ish honler, hist 11- \\ men. '

BRITISH COMMCMCAT'IONS THItLAThN F.D. THE ENEMY ENCAGED. 00 BRITISH CASUALTIES. Ldiulon. April 24. Reuters .Simla correspondent wires tlti.t the, enemy threatened to c-ut com-' municu lions. General Willeox attacked with two column*, capturing the native sangar-. THe British casualties wih-c- sixty.

OPEN' SALE OF ARMS TO TRIBESMEN". AFGHANISTAN VICTUALLING THE ENEMY. AMEER RECALLS AFGHAN SOLDIERS. ENEMY REPULSED AT ABAZI. Received 20th, 4.30 p.m. London, April 2-j-

I It is stated at Peshawar that arms ! and ammunition, manufactured in Afghanistan, have been openly sold. .Telia. i halm] tribesmen Iwught quantities, and (joined the Mohman.ls. j The enemy's supply of food comes largely from Afghan territory. The Ameer recently refused a permit |to Sufi, a Mullah, to proclaim n holy war against the Indian Government. It is reuorte.i that N-.i*rulla Khan has ordered Sir Tib JJakka to recall the Afghan soldiers who joined in the attack on Thursday night. The enemy were repelled in Friday's lighting iu Matta Abazi. From thence, low foothill, -tretch on either side to Alikandi ravine, which is at the north-eastern approach of the Mohmaml country. General Willcocks' object is to drive the enemy to the higher hills. A BIG ENGAGEMENT. BRITISH SUFFER SEVERE LOSSES.

Received 2Gth. 4.30 p.m. London, April 25. Major Anderson's brigade met the enemy near Stiabkadcii, and in a big engagement sufferejl severe losses. HISTORY REPEATED. It is the Molunands against whom (lie Indian Government—after suppressing the Zakka Khels at a total estimated cost of t80.0W)-are now launching a column. If the Molunands ami (he Alridus—of whom the Zakka Khels are a section—have liecn stirred to joint revolt, history- is merely repeating itselt, j On this occasion, the Mobmands arrived too late. Ai regards the attitude of t.ie Aineer, on February 23 the Times' correspondent telegraphed that '-the Governor of Jalalabad lias Snnimoiic.l the headmen of the Mohmand, Sliiuwari, and Ningralar tribes, and delivered t„ them the orders of the Ameer respecting the Zakka Khels. All the Afghan tril.es men are forbidden to assist the eneniic of the British Government, which is in friendly alliance with Afghanistan.'' The year 18(17 witnessed an almost p-n.-r.-il outbreak among the tribe- ~„ Hie northwest frontier of India. The Mohmand* raided to within a few miles of Peshawar, and the Afridis were also active. The Molunands were first dealt with, by a column under Major-General Sir Binilon Blood, who suppressed the tribesmen after considerafcle lighting. The total British loss in the Mohuiami Valley was 282 out of a force which never exceeded 1200 men. The Afridis were subsequently dealt with in the Tirah campaign.

THE MAN OF THE MOMENT

Eleven years ago Major-General Sir James Wilk-ucks, K.C.M.1... who ha- led the Zakka Khel expedition with ,-o much suei-e.ss, was an almost unknown -tali' otliwr at Deesa, in India, which he has himself dct*ril>e,l as "a -mall inililarv cantonment dumped down in a howling .ic.-erl.'' He had not long been pro" looted to the rank of major, had no "inllucucc'' whatever, and iio vi-ible pr,*--pect of rapid advancement. Four ycarla4er be was receiving the freedom of the City of London and a sword of honor at the liaud- of the l>ml Mayofur his hrilliaJU. relief of Kumasi. Vet even in those Decsa .lavs Sir •lames Willcocks was known to some v, hi„ seniors in the Army as a keen and zealous soldier. He had seen much light. ing on the Indian frontier, and wwe Afghan, Waziri, Sudan. Burma. Chin Ui-bai, am] Manipur mclal-. He had bad a varied and adventurous career. and Had never mFssed a single chance of getting into the lighting line whenever troops were on the march. From thmoment he entered the Army the call to arms ha- rarely sounded without "Jim" YVillcK-ks struggling to the front somehow. Tie- bugle- of war have ever rung in his ear- as the most alluring of invitation.-. Throughout hi- stirring lite he has -.-cincl the battle from nfai.

James U ilico.k- «a r on the Wc-t Coa-t during nio-t of the South African war. and though h- wa- ordered to the t..|»- toward- the end. he -aw little -civic there. Afterward- be went back to India, and -wa- placed in command ..f the BoniKn 8rig.,,!,-. Lite in the cue-, vating climate . t Bombay waa little io hi- taste. There n» much clerical work but no soldiering, and he was not cut out for an ..like stool. Lord Kitchener, with that unerring ii.-tini't for selecting good men whic'i marks the truly great soldier, "had his eye on bim. lie ajmointci! him to (lis l ,i. ting command of S,-nmlerab.i,l. alii,,,-! the divi-ioiial .• and in !.„!.,. f w.',- ,i !.i". pimp, bin liciid ,1 | .jot... ,'.n the l|..l,i|cr: and now he hibirdly taken <>\>-\- Hi,. P'--hanar c.mI nraiid liefore li- i- ordered on s.-rvice. I He will go further vet. j All l.i- life Sir -la Willc-k- h.'liveil with finglc-niiii.led devotion to hi. prote-ion. lake 1/ird liobcrt- iu lii-

~-tive ,1.'.--. hi- one pr..«,iipatioii i- ' | , keep hiui-s'lt thoroughly lit f«r -im,c j , the onlv ,».-sible way t„ nillle t,i- im- | Idling -riod temi'er i- to look him keen- I I. „p and down and tell him that he , .cm- to be putting on weight, lie hi- j : i-„„n rub-.a,lie to which he rigidly j ,11„.r,-. due o, 1„- ~ rlicles of belief ! li. thai nnr-t | pie cat W< much, hoI him-elf. i..' ha- never taken breakfa-l-I for mane .ear-, holding that tiwo sub tantial meal- a dav ought to siilli..-. lb- nev«r tak,- liquid in any t„riu at the table, i -I h„ld that the -ddier ought to keep j non-elf readv for a call at any moment." I ,s „„c of hi- favorite s.ying-. Another i i- that "the general who can't rule i= I 1,,,,.. f,, f nowadays." In the Indian .".Id 1 M.-ither be i» alwavs up and in uniform i ! i„ M '„ b„for,. -iinri-c Even iu Bombay ' !,,. "would o-il'illv have ridden twenty !

mile- before m"-* I" "r l '' were alKiut. | 11. i- ihe ..»il» man I litiv,. eve: heard j ,t who ii-c.l to ic his bath-! It i- hi- ! •,iide never t>. have spent a holiday at j , hill i-tation. or even to luv,. visited j ,„.. ewept when duty compelled him. j He devote- all hi- available -hoit leave . ,„ |,ig came -hooting. When "thcr men! dv (o e,..,l iiiounlain top- ill April and \|,v <ir .lame- Willcocks i- n-uallv f,,in- th.- tb■'"',■ if " f ""' l' l:li "" '" -...,i-,-i, ~! ti'.'ei'-. lb- think- that •"! is-i - -hoiild -'bur. luviiiion- ea-e. mid ~,,, .:„. ,„1,,0,.,-„ placing croquet at a v ;| ~.,, ..wnkl.ana w.aiil.l be better ill a, iu,,..!,. will, a got, in hi- hand.