§ MR. MOLLOYOn behalf of the hon. Member for Londonderry, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India whether, on 18th August, 1897, Sir Richard Udny, having ordered Captain Barton, the Commandant of the Khyber Rifles, to withdraw from Lundi Kotal, telegraphed to the Punjaub Government that, as there was no officer in the Khyber whom it would be necessary to succour if Lundi Kotal and the forts are attacked, it would not be necessary to do anything from that side to force the pass; whether the pass remained open for four days, during which nothing was done either to succour or withdraw the Khyber Rifles, who were thus left with their native officers to be cut to pieces; whether there were at the time 12,000 troops within 20 miles; and whether Sir Richard Udny is still the responsible adviser of the Government on the Frontier?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord GEORGE HAMILTON, Middlesex, Ealing)It is the case that Sir Richard Udny, for what appeared to be sufficient reasons, recalled Captain Barton from Lundi Kotal, and, having done so, telegraphed to the Government of India on the 18th August his concurrence in General Ellis's opinion that, if that post were attacked, it was advisable not to attempt an advance up the Khyber, but to threaten Tirah. He also anticipated that the levies which remained in the Khyber, if attacked, would escape without any serious loss. Under the Agreement with the Afridis, it was specially provided that they were responsible for the protection of the Khyber, independently of any assistance from British troops. On the 21st it was reported that the Afridis were gathering for an attack, which was delivered on the 23rd, with the result that the Khyber Rifles, though attacked, escaped, as was anticipated, without serious loss, losing 11 men. The number of troops in the neighbourhood was approximately as stated in the third Question, but, as I have before stated, on Military grounds it was not considered advisable to lock up any portion of them in the Khyber Pass. The Government of India are of opinion that Sir R. Udny, under circumstances of great perplexity, acted throughout in a straightforward and loyal manner.