PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TC.O. 8
885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAMÁNOT TO
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CEYLON.
Of the most isolated Province in the island (Batticaloa) the Government Agent (Mr. Hill) reports:-
14
There is no unemployment worthy of note, and I have not heard of any distress. There is plenty of work in the district in harvesting Munmari crops and in preparing for the Pinmari cultivation, and also on coco-nut estates. Villagers are encouraged to take up Crown land for paddy culti- vation."
and of Hambantota, another remote district which might be expected to feel any distress due to a decrease in supplies and difficulties of transport, the Assistant Government Agent writes:-
"This district has been little affected by the war, and, unless anything unforeseen occurs, the position as regards employment will remain normal.' These reports are borne out by the information received from other parts of the island, and I quote them as showing the condition of typical districts in Ceylon.
5. It is not to be anticipated that the effects of the war can be altogether escaped-shortage of freights, the loss of markets in enemy countries, the rise in prices of certain imported articles and increased demand for many such articles owing to the war, are bound to send up prices-but the steps taken to prevent undue rises in price, combined with the ability of the people generally to live on the resources of the country which they have at their doors and can supplement at will, may be expected to carry them through even a prolonged period of financial pressure with- out actual distress.
6. With regard to the references made in the reports by the Government Agents, which I have quoted above. to the unemployment caused in some parts by the closing down of plumbago pits. I would refer you to my despatch No. 94, of 9th February and previous correspondence.
I have, &c.,
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CYPRUS.
No. 52.
ROBERT CHALMERS,
Governor.
THE HIGH COMMISSIONER to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 2nd December, 1914.)
(No. 216.) SIR,
Government. House, Nicosia, 20th November, 1914.
I HAVE the honour to furnish you herewith, for your information, with an account of the actions of this Government, in various directions, in connexion with the war.
2. On 30th July last I deemed it advisable to form a Defence Committee to consider and decide upon such measures of extraordinary internal administration as would become necessary if war were to break out. The Committee, under my presidency. was constituted as follows:-The Official Members of the Executive Council, the Officer Commanding the Troops, and the Acting Chief Commandant of Police. Mr. H. C. Lukach was appointed Secretary, and Mr. R. M. Cuningham Assistant Secretary. I communicated to this Committee the contents of all secret instructions, etc., which I had received in anticipation of Great Britain being in- volved in war, and informed the members that I had come to the conclusion that, with the very limited garrison of British troops which the island possessed, and in view of the political obstacles which existed, in my opinion, to calling upon the native population to take up arms in defence of the island's shores, I had not pre- pared any military scheme for any general defence. The Committee agreed with this view, and endorsed my proposal that all our efforts should be directed to pre- serving, as far as possible, normal conditions in the island. Ever since the out- break of war the Committee has sat continuously, and all the measures which are detailed below were taken after discussion by it.
* 10969: not printed.
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CYPRUS.
3. On 3rd August telegraphic censorship was established in the island by Order in Council in conformity with your instructions. Mr. C. B. Wodehouse, Commissioner of Larnaca, was appointed Censor, and Messrs. W. H. Thorne (Pre- sident District Court, Larnaca) and K. W. Stead (Collector of Customs), Assistant Censors. There is, as you are aware, no wireless installation in the island. Censorship was at subsequent periods extended to postal matter and to the Press in such measure as appeared necessary.
4. On the outbreak of war I deemed it necessary, in conformity with the opinion of the Defence Committee, to proclaim martial law in the island. The Legislature was at the time not in session, the Government was at Troodos, whither it would have been impracticable to convoke the Elected Members, several of whom were at the time in Europe, and the existence of war made it necessary for me to do certain acts, such as the detention of enemy ships, dealing with German and Aus- trian subjects, the fixing of the price of necessaries of life, the prohibition of the export of foodstuffs, etc., which could only be done either under legislative sanc- tion or by martial law. In no way, however, has the existence of martial law impeded the normal liberties of the population. It has been used to facilitate the performance of certain duties necessitated by the existence of the state of war, but in no way to interfere unnecessarily with ordinary and legitimate life and business. I appointed in each district a Provost Marshal's Court to deal with offences com- mitted against martial law, the President being the Commissioner, and his assis- tants the President of the District Court and one other Government official of British birth. On the return of Captain C. W. Orr, Chief Secretary, from leave. Major W. N. Bolton, who had been acting for him, was appointed Island Provost Marshal, to deal with questions of food supply, etc., throughout the island.
5. At the outbreak of war, the British troops in the island consisted of one company of the Suffolk Regiment, then stationed at their summer quarters on Troodos. On 5th August I inquired telegraphically of the General Officer Com- manding in Egypt if there was any likelihood of the company being removed from the island, and, on hearing from him that there was not, instructed the Officer Com- manding to move small detachments both to Limassol and to Larnaca, in order to give to the port authorities, should they require it, the support of British troops in carrying out their duties with regard to enemy merchant vessels. At the end of September the company of regular troops was replaced by a company of the 6th Battalion, Manchester Regiment, who in their turn made way, in October, for a half battalion of the 8th Battalion, Manchester Regiment. The half battalion is divided between Polemidia and Nicosia; also, since the outbreak of war with Turkey, detachments have been sent, temporarily, to the Paphos district and to Famagusta and Larnaca.
6. On 5th August I notified the Admiral Commander in Chief at Malta that, pending any instructions I might receive from you, I did not propose to interfere with the lights of the island.
7. On 4th August I instructed the Treasurer to proceed from Troodos to Limassol to interview the bank managers and representatives of the mercantile community as to the financial position of the island in the event of hostilities break- ing out. Moreover, after the declaration of war, the Manager of the Cyprus branch of the Imperial Ottoman Bank, with which the Government banks, had several conferences with the Defence Committee; and the local manager of the Bank of Athens also came to Troodos for the purpose of discussing his financial require- ments with the Government.
Financially, the Government had to consider two questions: firstly, to prevent runs on the banks and a financial panic; secondly, to ensure that financial stringency should not have the effect of preventing the export of the island's crops, more par- ticularly the carob crop. The first danger was averted by the proclamation of bank holidays at the outbreak of the war and by the moratorium, of which more will be said hereafter. The export of specie was prohibited, and persons leaving the island are not permitted without special leave to take with them a greater sum in cash than £10. Furthermore, in order to facilitate the influx of money into the island, Government in August induced the Imperial Ottoman Bank to import £10,000 in specie from Egypt by indemnifying it against war loss.
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CYPRUS