§ * MR. LUPTON (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)I beg to ask the Under-Secretary of State for India if the British troops now invading the country of the Mohmands are destroying the villages and burning 276 the crops and stores of corn of the villagers.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Mr. BUCHANAN,) Perthshire, E.We have no detailed information beyond what appears in the telegrams, but I understand that destruction of the towers of the villages, and in some cases the burning of stores of corn, have been among the punitive measures inflicted on the tribesmen, who, as the hon. Member is aware, made unprovoked raids into British territory and committed murder and pillage upon British subjects.
§ * MR. LUPTONMay I ask the hon. Member if it is a fact that in the recent operations against the Zakka Khel we did not burn the villages and that these people are now our friends?
§ MR. BUCHANANI cannot answer that Question without notice.
§ * MR. LUPTONIs it the fact that in the late Afghanistan War we did burn the crops and orchards and exasperated them so that they drove us out of the country?
§ [No Answer was returned.]