File 3443/1914 Pt 5 'Persia: German agents' [‎14r] (34/395)

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of differences of r:li lous belief, the Indian people were
here united. Large crowds of manv thousands osse^hled at Delhi;
the Lnglish threw bombs amongst them, and used guns and machine-
guns. Exceptional condition of affairs everywhere. Damages to
•main lines of railways, as well as telegraphs. The Ameer is
indignant at ill-treatment of Mussulmans in India by the British.
He believed India to b.: on the eve of a revolution, and
considered it a favourable opportunity for the declaration of
war by Afghanistan, and the extension of his rule to the sea. He
had the frontiers occupied at the end of May, and proclaimed a
holy war, the main forces being despatched against Peshawar under
command of a recently appointed War Minister, formerly Haib Talar.
It was s-tat d that the latter was to tame up his position on the
frontier for defensive purposes, until completion of mobilisation;
however, he crossed the frontier with a few officers, until driven
back by the English frontier officer; a few hours later, arrived
English reconnaissance aviators, who were fired on; they were
followed by bornbin.f' aeroplane^', which carried out a raid upon the
camp. The War Minister was wounded. The new commander attempted
advance, but the British - with 12 aero - 1 nes, - put the army to
fli pit with bombs, runs and M.L.s, a11 officers having deserved
their men.- .English infantry and artillery -o re not engaged to any
great extent, only a small detachment being in the bottle. The
Afghan army suffered heavy losses. Having received no supplies
for three days, the starving army plundered Jalabad, which has
been almost entirely ruined by bombing raids. On the following
^ay, an Afghan bearing a fla~ of truce went to Daha, to treat with
the British. The troops arriving at Kabul are completely demorMLi
On 24,3, an aviator appeared over Kabul, and threw 7 bombs.
■ Lile factory An East India Company trading post. was damaged, otherwist not much harm was done. The
w nncaramen t of the town and the news of defeat deprived the
population of all .esire for combat. Only tribesmen like the
Lonmanus inclined (?} oo revenge (*?), out h ,d not encu h guns.
Englisn officers already arrived in Kabul for negotiations.
Only 3 Ge imane and one Hungarian subject still on Afgiian soil.
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