179
JAMAICA.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
mmmmmC.O. 885
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGIM NOT TO
8. Clause 7 prevents a banker from exporting specie without the consent in writing of the Governor so long as the bank notes of that banker continue to be legal tender.
9. Clauses 8 and 9 follow sections 12 and 13 of Law 20 of 1904, and clause 10 imposes penalties.
"
10. In clause 3 the words or bank notes" should appear before the words "and shall be taken to be valid," while in clause 2 the word made." occurring before the words "payable this island," is superfluous. In neither case will any difficulty arise.
11. It is understood that the Governor has satisfied himself that an urgent necessity exists requiring that the Bill be brought into immediate operation, and this being the case assent may be given at once.
The Honourable
The Colonial Secretary,
Kingston.
I have, &c..
E. ST. JOHN Branch,
Attorney-General.
43783
THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
(No. 453.) SIR,
No. 77.
L
(Received 9th November, 1914.)
King's House, Jamaica, 20th October, 1914.
I THINK it may be of interest that I should send to you a brief epitome of the events since the commencement of the precautionary stage preceding the outbreak of hostilities with Germany and the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary and the present date.
2. The telegram announcing the necessity for the putting into force of the precautionary stage was received in Kingston at 4.30 p.m. on the 29th July, 1914. I at once called the General Officer Commanding and gave him written instructions as to the commencement of the precautionary stage and requested him to observe reticence in the matter.
The troops were all in their allotted defences by 6 a.m. on the 30th July; the movements were carried out quietly and with great smoothness.
3. On the evening of the 29th July I requested the managers of the three Kingston newspapers to meet me at King's House, and I asked them to come to an honourable understanding with me not to publish in their papers any reference to the strength or location of the troops, or of their movements, and further to make no reference to the movements of ships of His Majesty's Navy. This understand- ing was given and was honourably kept.
I further wrote personally to the managers of the newspapers published in Montego Bay requesting them to observe the same undertaking, to which they adhered.
4. The telegram announcing the outbreak of hostilities with the German Empire was received in Kingston at 2.15 a.m. on 5th August. I at once signed the various Proclamations necessary, which were printed and issued in the Jamaica Gazette during the course of the day, the type having been set up as a precautionary measure previously.
5. should remark that the interruption in the direct West India cable by a breach in the neighbourhood of Jamaica took place at 6.40 a.m. on the 3rd August, coinciding within fifteen minutes with the earthquake which was felt in Kingston on that day, and which was attributed to the effects of the earthquake This dislocation of the direct cable was the cause of some congestion in messages in the cable offices. The cable was, however, repaired and the captain of the cable- repairing ship informed me that the cable unquestionably had been cut and that the earthquake was not responsible for the interruption. Hostile cruisers had been in the neighbourhood of Jamaica a few days before the outbreak of the war.
6. Steps were immediately taken :-
(1) To compel all subjects of the German Empire to register their names and to intern all those who were found to be reservists, or who were of the age for military service but concerning whom no evidence as to their liability for military service was available.
(2) To seize all arms, ammunition, and explosives other than such in the charge of the naval and military authorities, and to place them in the charge of the Ordnance Officer, or in the charge of the police in the country districts, for issue under special orders.
(8) To set up the Board under the Regulations under Martial Law to fix the price of foodstuffs.
7. I further decided to call the Legislative Council together to pass the fol- lowing measures rendered necessary by the outbreak of war:---
(1) A law to prevent the publication and transmission of naval and military intelligence at times to be determined by the Governor.
(2) A law to render the Jamaica Constabulary Force liable to military service in case of invasion.
A law to enable the Governor to make certain bank notes legal tender.
Jamaica Volunteer Defence Force.
A law to provide for the establishment of a Defence Force, to be called the
These laws were passed through all stages at one sitting of the Legislative Council, a conference having been held previously to explain and emphasize their importance. The Council unanimously passed these laws.
At the same sitting the sum of £10,000 was voted for defence purposes and the Governor was authorized to expend upon emergency works, such as relief works and other services, such amounts as might be necessary to be approved by resolution of Council hereafter. The general tone of the Legislative Council was to assist in every manner possible in the conditions brought about by the existence of a state of
war.
8. In my speech,* a copy of which I enclose, at the opening of the Council I urged that everything that was possible should be done to encourage the people to proceed with their ordinary avocations and to accept calmly the conditions arising. I am pleased to be able to state that matters have proceeded normally. There has been no excitement and no unrest, and the returns from the banks show that deposits have increased since the commencement of hostilities. The people have displayed a spirit of the greatest loyalty, and I have received a large number of offers of personal service.
9. With reference to defence matters, I decided to enrol a body of one hun- dred bicycle scouts to patrol the coast roads, and a body of two hundred armed mounted scouts to be called the Jamaica Scouts. This force has been raised. organized, and equipped under the command of Colonel E. Moulton-Barrett, C.M.G., and the force is rapidly becoming efficient.
I further decided to raise a force on the lines of the Volunteer Reserves in the East African Protectorates, to be called the Jamaica Reserve Regiment, and to consist of a company in each parish. The enrolment of this force is proceeding.
These forces should be a useful body in the event of any attempt being made to land a raiding party upon any part of the coast of the island.
Under the Defence Force Law a company was raised from the St. Andrew Rifle Corps and renamed the Kingston Infantry Volunteers.
The Jamaica Artillery Militia is embodied and has taken up its duties in con- nexion with the defence scheme of the island.
10. There has been some agitation to raise in Jamaica a mounted force for Imperial service. I have not, however, felt that I could support this proposal, for the reasons that the condition of the island's finances would not permit of it, and for the further reason that the proposal did not recommend itself to me from a military point of view. For similar reasons, I was unable to acquiesce in certain other proposals to raise a corps to replace the West India Regiment for service in Europe.
11. I have already telegraphed to you and received your reply in regard to a gift of sugar from the island to the Imperial Government as a contribution towards the expenses of the war from Jamaica.
N 2
* Not printed.
179
JAMAICA.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
mimimmimiCO. 895
24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRÔNOT TO
6. Steps were immediately taken :-
(1) To compel all subjects of the German Empire to register their names and to intern all those who were found to be reservists, or who were of the age for military service but concerning whom no evidence as to their liability for military service was available.
(2) To seize all arms, ammunition, and explosives other than such in the charge of the naval and military authorities, and to place them in the charge of the Ordnance Officer, or in the charge of the police in the country districts, for issue under special orders.
(9) To set up the Board under the Regulations under Martial Law to fix the price of foodstuffs.
7. I further decided to call the Legislative Council together to pass the fol- lowing measures rendered necessary by the outbreak of war:-
(1) A law to prevent the publication and transmission of naval and military intelligence at times to be determined by the Governor.
(2) A law to render the Jamaica Constabulary Force liable to military service in case of invasion.
A law to enable the Governor to make certain bank notes legal tender.
Jamaica Volunteer Defence Force.
A law to provide for the establishment of a Defence Force, to be called the
These laws were passed through all stages at one sitting of the Legislative Council, a conference having been held previously to explain and emphasize their importance. The Council unanimously passed these laws.
At the same sitting the sum of £10,000 was voted for defence purposes and the Governor was authorized to expend upon emergency works, such as relief works and other services, such amounts as might be necessary to be approved by resolution of Council hereafter. The general tone of the Legislative Council was to assist in every manner possible in the conditions brought about by the existence of a state of
War.
8. In my speech, a copy of which I enclose, at the opening of the Council I urged that everything that was possible should be done to encourage the people to proceed with their ordinary avocations and to accept calmly the conditions arising. I am pleased to be able to state that matters have proceeded normally. There has been no excitement and no unrest, and the returns from the banks show that deposits have increased since the commencement of hostilities. The people have displayed a spirit of the greatest loyalty, and I have received a large number of offers of personal service.
9. With reference to defence matters, I decided to enrol a body of one hun- dred bicycle scouts to patrol the coast roads, and a body of two hundred armed mounted scouts to be called the Jamaica Scouts. This force has been raised. organized, and equipped under the command of Colonel E. Moulton-Barrett, C.M.G., and the force is rapidly becoming efficient.
I further decided to raise a force on the lines of the Volunteer Reserves in the East African Protectorates, to be called the Jamaica Reserve Regiment, and to consist of a company in each parish. The enrolment of this force is proceeding.
These forces should be a useful body in the event of any attempt being made to land a raiding party upon any part of the coast of the island.
Under the Defence Force Law a company was raised from the St. Andrew Rifle Corps and renamed the Kingston Infantry Volunteers.
The Jamaica Artillery Militia is embodied and has taken up its duties in con- nexion with the defence scheme of the island.
10. There has been some agitation to raise in Jamaica a mounted force for Imperial service I have not, however, felt that I could support this proposal, for the reasons that the condition of the island's finances would not permit of it, and for the further reason that the proposal did not recommend itself to me from a military point of view. For similar reasons, I was unable to acquiesce in certain other proposals to raise a corps to replace the West India Regiment for service in Europe.
11. I have already telegraphed to you and received your reply in regard to a gift of sugar from the island to the Imperial Government as a contribution towards the expenses of the war from Jamaica.
* Not printed.
N 2