551
FORLIC
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11111C.O.882/12
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
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to promote a higher standard and a wider diffusion of education, Arabic, Maldivian, and Urdu for the lower orders, and English as an additional subject for the upper classes, and he expressed the hope that I and the Government of Ceylon would be sympathetic and helpful. I assured him of the fullest sympathy and asked what kind of helpfulness he had in mind. He replied that they might have occasion to send some of their young men to finish their education in Ceylon, and if so he hoped that I would take a friendly interest in them and do what I could for them. That I promised.
In answer to a further question of mine he said that he would interest himself also in the education of women.
C. 83266/81 [No. 1].
No. 2.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 11.25 p.m., 16th January, 1931.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 3.]
16TH JANUARY. No. 10. Confidential. Please see my Confidential despatches Local of the 13th October, 1928,* and 9th April, 1930,† re the Maldive Islands. Maldivian representative has requested me to arrange for visit of high official to Maldives. It appears that question' of succession is causing grave anxiety and that apathy of Sultan has led to abuse of power by his Ministers. He states that there is strong feeling in favour of some form of representative institution, that without some outside stimulus no party is strong enough to initiate movement for reform of present system, or rather lack of system, but that the Sultan himself and even the present Ministers would be readily amenable to advice, and that impetus of visit by high officia! for the purpose of discussing the situation and advising as to method to be adopted would be sufficient to enable Maldivians to set their own house in order. He does not of course suggest any assumption of control by His Majesty's Government or Ceylon Government, but merely that visit of official should urge upon the Sultan necessity for disinheriting his son and nominating capable successor, and should assist in composing framework of constitution. I consider it advisable to comply with request, but I do not think any officer of lower status and authority than the head or acting head of the Ceylon Government could undertake the task with reasonable pros- pect of success. It is impossible for me to visit Malé before I leave Ceylon, and I doubt whether Graeme Thomson would find it possible to spare time before the south- west monsoon sets in. Visit during the monsoon would be scarcely practicable and Didi strongly deprecates delay until after monsoon. I suggest that Bourdillon, whose knowledge of Arabic and Hindustani will assist him, should visit Malé while administer- ing the Government. Stay of four days should suffice, which would involve absence of seven or eight days from Ceylon. Only possible dates would be between 21st February and 9th March, the later the better so as to give as much time as I request that you will possible for preliminary correspondence with the Sultan. move Admiralty to authorize his conveyance there and back by one of His Majesty's ships. Owing to the absence of the Naval Coinmander-in-Chief I have been unable to consult him. If you approve of visit and Admiralty can make necessary arrange- ments I propose to inform the Sultan that Bourdillon while administering the Govern- ment wishes to pay him a visit and would welcome the opportunity of discussing with him and his Ministers and representatives of his people difficulties which I understand have arisen in regard to both the form of Government and succession to the Throne. I have already addressed you by despatch of the 6th January, but have since had further interview with Maldivian representative and request that you will telegraph reply without waiting for the receipt of that despatch. Matter most urgent as ordinary means of communication with Malé are very slow.
No. 1 in Eastern No. 151.
† No. 1.
‡ No. 4.
C. 83266/31 [No. 2].
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No. 3.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
(Sent 7.30 p.m., 21st January, 1931.)
TELEGRAM.
No. 18. CONFIDENTIAL. I approve visit of Bourdillon to Maldive Islands. Admiralty are being consulted as to his conveyance by one of His Majesty's ships.— PASSFIELD.
C. 83266/31 [No. 4].
No. 4.
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 26th January, 1931.)
(Confidential (2).) MY LORD,
·
Queen's Cottage, Nuwara Eliya, 6th January, 1931. WITH reference to my Confidential despatch of the 9th April,* I have the honour to inform Your Lordship that on the 9th December, on the occasion of the annual ceremonial presentation of tribute from the Sultan of the Maldive Islands, Mr. E. Abdul Hamid Didi, the Maldivian Government Representative in Ceylon (who for the purposes of that annual ceremony, and for those purposes only, is described 88 Maldivian Ambassador), took the opportunity of some more or less private conversa- tion with me, after the formal exchange of official compliments had been concluded, to urge the expediency of sending at an early date some senior officer of the Ceylon Government in a warship to the Islands in order to assist in the solution of the difficulties arising out of the question of the eventual succession to the Sultanate.
2. I gathered from Mr. Abdul Hamid Didi that the Sultan was as inactive and ineffective as ever, and that his son had gone, physically and morally, from bad to In this context I may advert to my Confidential despatch of the 13th October, 1928.†
worse.
3. Mr. Abdul Hamid Didi seemed to apprehend that, unless something were done soon to clear the air, serious trouble might be expected. He thought that the help and advice and moral support of a representative of the Government of Ceylon would be invaluable, and indeed indispensable, in the process of achieving a definite settlement. He appreciated that it would not be possible for me to revisit Malé before I left Ceylon, and that Sir Graeme Thomson would be very fully occupied here for a considerable time after his arrival, but he hoped that some senior officer of high status could and would be spared.
4. The circumstances of the occasion precluded anything beyond cursory discussion, and I failed to elucidate what precisely he would desire the representative of this Government to do. I confined myself, therefore, to saying that I should be glad if it were in my power to be of assistance to the Government and people of the Maldives, and that I would bear in mind what he had told me.
5.
As the Colonial Secretary was to receive Mr. Abdul Hamid Didi a few days later for the purpose of handing to him the gift to the Sultan which it is customary to present in acknowledgment of the tribute, I asked Mr. Bourdillon to see whether he could ascertain what really was in Mr. Abdul Hamid Didi's mind. The latter's remarks were, as usual, very obscure, but Mr. Bourdillon formed the impression that his purpose went beyond the mere question of the supersession of the Sultan's son. Mr. Abdul Hamid Didi seemed to be a little suspicions of the attitude and inten- tions of his brother (and the Sultan's brother-in-law), the Prime Minister, who, being now virtually omnipotent in the conduct of the administration, might conceivably be playing with the notion of becoming the President of a local Republic. The Prime Minister's mention to me (as recorded in the enclosure to my Confidential despatch of the 9th April) of the possibility of a Council of Regency being instituted in the event of the non-election of a Sultan, is not wholly inconsistent with such a supposition. The obvious heir to the throne. after the elimination of the Sultan's son, would be, have previously reported, the Sultan's brother, but he lives, and is married, in India, and, having regard to the Maldivian fear of Indian penetration, public opinion at Malé would be likely to support the Prime Minister if he were to insist on making
as
* No. 1.
No. 1 in Eastern No. 151.