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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.
882 /10
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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(4) Mr. L. J. B. Turner, Ceylon Civil Service, was associated during the riots with Messrs. Hayley and Anthonisz (Assistant Collector of Customs) in patrolling He showed patience, tact, and courage in the roads of the Gravets in a light car. endeavouring to induce the crowds to disperse. Under martial law his party acted as scouts, reporting the locality of mobs to the military officers, who proceeded with armed parties to disperse them.
Later this gentleman worked with me as Special Commissioner in assessing I was fortunate in having damage and preparing cases for the special tribunal. his assistance in this important work, in which he showed conspicuous zeal and We added ability.
(5) Mr. A. C. Hayley worked with Mr. Turner as above described. him to the number of Special Commissioners; his long acquaintance with the district rendered his assistance in the valuation of property and the investigation of claims and charges specially valuable. He also took charge of the question of the rice supply, watched and regulated prices, and advised me with regard to any possible shortage. He cheerfully sacrificed his time and energy for the benefit of the district. (6) Messrs. C. Northway, J.P., Unofficial Police Magistrate, and Naish, Ceylon Civil Service, were also made additional Special Commissioners under Mr. Turner, and gave him great assistance.
(7) Mr. Ekanayaka, Police Magistrate, Balapitiya, has already been men- tioned as having done good work in his division. He organized special police and worked them with the regular police and headmen with excellent effec". The damage done in the Bentota Wallalwiti Korle was small; but it must be mentioned that there are few mosques and not many Moormen there.
(8) Mr. Roberts, Police Magistrate, Galle, showed an admirable grasp of the necessities of the situation. He dealt promptly, severely, and successfully with the large number of prisoners arrested without warrant and taken before him (see, for He was always ready to visit the scenes of disturbance instance, paragraph 27). and assist in dealing with crowds.
39. I invite special attention to paragraph 20, which I think illustrates the inadequacy of the ordinary criminal law and the powerlessness of the officials, in certain circumstances, until their hands are strengthened by the proclamation of An immense amount of damage can be done by destructive mobile martial law. mobs, which disperse on the approach of an armed party, only to reassemble on the armed party's withdrawal. If the military, acting under martial law, had been content to disperse such mobs, not a mosque or a Moorman's bungalow would have been left standing, or a Moorman's boutique unrifled. It was only by firing promptly on scattering mobs and on looting parties, before they could disperse, that the rioting was stopped. I think the Chief Revenue Officer of a district, and police officers not below the rank of Assistant Superintendent of Police, should be given wider authority than at present to order the police to fire on such assemblies.
40. Since drafting the foregoing I have received Colonial Secretary's Confi- dential letter of 7th July, and the Honourable Mr. Abdul Rahiman's report.
41. I agree that the early restoration of the mosques is desirable. Part of the compensation can, if authorized, be paid in the Galle District from the Rs.10,000 advanced for the purpose of dealing with urgent cases.
42. The honourable gentleman mentions rape and mutilation, with special reference to the Southern Province. No suggestion of anything of the kind occur- ring in the Galle District has been made to me or to the other Special Commissioners. Messrs. Macan Maricar and Magdon Ismail, J.P., inform me that no complaint of the nature has been made to them. I cannot speak with equal assurance of the Matara District.
43. With reference to his fifth and sixth paragraphs, no Sinhalese headmen, chief or minor, have anything to do here with the assessment of damage. This work was entrusted to Europeans, mostly of long residence in the Island, who consulted leading Moormen. The damage to buildings was estimated by the Provincial Engineer or the Superintendent of Minor Roads, or others familiar with building operations.
44. My assistant at Matara reports as follows on Mr. Macan Marikar's
letter:-
"I have already dealt with most of the points raised in this report in my general report on the riots in this district.
"As regards the Weligama riots, I may mention that the Moorish The damage was confined to the south of quarter proper was untouched.
SIR.
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the railway line, where the Moorish properties are scattered among the Sin- halese. In their own quarter the Moors were probably too strong, and this deterred the rioters from going there.
"I am far from satisfied with the conduct of the Mudaliyar and the police. Their main efforts seemed to have been directed to preventing the Moors from crossing the railway line from the Moorish quarter rather than to driving off the mob. The Mudaliyar's explanation as to why he did not give the order to shoot (vide annexure) is decidedly a weak one, and indicates cowardice. There is little doubt that had the police fired the riot would have been stopped. As soon as Sergeant Parker arrived and fired a round of blank
the rioters fled.
"I have before expressed my opinion that the Mudaliyar is too old for I do not his work. He should not be retained in service after this year. believe that the Mudaliyar in any way "encouraged" the rioters. There is no evidence to this effect.
-
As regards the Sub-Inspector of Police, I am reporting to the Inspector- General of Police. The fact that he is a Burgher makes the weakness of his conduct the more remarkable.
"As regards the President, Mr. Gunawardena, I view his conduct with much suspicion. So far we have not been able to get any reliable evidence that he was actually privy to the riot, but I consider it very possible. He is related to the Don Carolis family. I submitted his name for honorary rank this year.
Of the minor rioters, I hereby cancel my recommendation. several ringleaders have already been arrested. Andrew Samarawickreme is absconding.
Paragraph 30. The statement that at Horagoda 'all the Moorish quarter was laid waste' is untrue. Except the mosque, the other buildings, i.e., houses and boutiques, were hardly touched. The contents, however, were removed.
"Paragraph 31. This man has been arrested, and there is good evidence against him.
Godapitiya was the worst case in the district, as four About twenty men have been arrested, and will
Paragraph 33.
murders were committed. be tried by court martial.
(No. 255.)
I hope they will all be shot."
Enclosure 2 in No. 40.
R. B. HELLINGS,
Government Agent.
The Kachcheri, Matara, 14th June, 1915.
Riots.
WITH reference to your letter No. 165, of the 7th instant, I have the honour to report that I received on the 1st instant your telegram re anticipated disturbances and steps to be taken in that connexion.
2. Trouble being likely to commence at Weligama, an important Moorish centre, I sent out the Korale Mudaliyar to reside there for the next few days. On the morning of the 2nd I went there with the Assistant Superintendent of Police, saw the leading men of the Moorish and Sinhalese communities, and advised them to keep the peace. We were given satisfactory assurances, and the relations between both parties seemed most friendly. We gave the Mudaliyar and police the necessary instructions in the event of a riot breaking out. In the afternoon we visited Dick- wella, twelve miles from Matara in the Tangalle direction. Here, too, the situation seemed satisfactory, and Moors and Sinhalese were mixing together freely in the bazaar.
3. On the 3rd we completed arrangements and swore in a number of special police. The volunteers who had been already called out were kept in readiness at the police station in charge of Lieutenant Cheesewright, Ceylon Light Infantry, and Colour-Sergeant Parker. There were only fourteen of them. All available cars were commandeered. I heard from you that the rioting had commenced in Galle, and also received a wire from the Colonial Secretary that martial law had been proclaimed here.
* Not received in Colonial Office.