2
Year
or whose engagements terminate naturally, look around for other employment, and if they are offered remunerative service under Foreign Powers, they not unnaturally accept such employment. It is this tendency which we wish to check.
3. In our opinion the surest means of arresting this flow of fighting men to foreign service is to insist, where we can do so, upon their repatriation to India before the expiry of their term of service or on dismissal.
This, so far as British Administrations are concerned, may be effected in one of two ways: (i) that is that His Majesty's Government shall only permit the enlistment of natives of India by such Administrations, subject to the condition that they are repatriated at the end of their term of service or on dismissal, the cost of return passages being, if necessary, deducted from the pay of the men. (ii) The second is that recruiting for British Administrations shall be conducted entirely through the Indian Government, the term of service ending in India. We are of opinion that the latter method has the advantage over the former, in that it would reduce the independent flow of emigrants from India in search of military or police employment in the East. On the other hand, it would add considerably to the responsibilities of our recruiting officers.
It would of course rest with the Government of India to limit the numbers of any particular class which might be enlisted.
4. We further consider that, as natives of India have for long been accustomed to take service as mercenaries under Foreign Governments, they do not perhaps fully recognize their duties as British subjects. We therefore propose that a warning be addressed to all men recruited in India in the future or who are now in the service of British Administrations in the Far East that they will become rebels and be liable to certain pains and penalties, if, having entered the service of a Foreign Power, they continue to serve that Power when at war with Great Britain.
5. Finally, we would suggest that the present procedure by which emigrants from India to the Straits are prevented
Vide Section 2 of the Straits Settlements Ordinance No. VII of 1894. An Ordinance for the Protection of Indian Immigrants.
from going from the Straits to countries to which emigration from India is unlawful, be extended so as to prevent all classes from which recruits are drawn from leaving Singapore for ports further East without a permit.
We have the honour to be,
MY LORD,
Your Lordship's most obedient, humble Servants,
(Signed) T. RALEIGH,
A. T. ARUNDEL.
DENZIL IBBETSON.
DRAFT.
Haykay Secret Yanmar Si H. A. Blake
Mr.
MINUTE.
x. Fiddian 2.7/5
Mr.
1. Colluis
Mr. Antrobus.
Mr. Cox.
Mr. Incas.
Mr. Graham.
25
Sir M. Ommanney.
Earl of Onslow.
Mr. Chamberlain,
$ .0.
20
4 dfts
Day
Si
551
30 May'
'03
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch of the 9th Dec. last, on the subject of the enlistment of Sikhs by Foreign Powers in China, and to enclose a copy of a letter which has been addressed to me from the India Office, enclosing copy of a despatch from the Earl of India, containing certain suggestions on the matter.