CO882-10 — Page 45

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

C.O. 882/10

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH--NOT TO

BF

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

1. Hot and

revenue.

2 Artillery

arrives.

I have conti

to mention that

the Hon Mr T

3. Moon

and Me 1

().Goonewar

dene 04 EP

Jayawarden"

met at my

Invitation and

to

the principal Sinhalese Inum).

İtanta and en

join on the

78

Enclosure 4 in No. 40.

DIARY OF THE GOVERNMENT AGENT, NORTH-WESTERN PROVINCE, FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE, 1915.

Tuesday, 1st.-Out early to police station and town. All quiet, but various alarmist telegrams coming in. Sub-Inspector, Polgahawela, wires saying Inspector

Mean- General of Police wants all the Kurunegala motors sent to Polgahawela.

while Inspector-General of Police wants to know if I want assistance, and states he is himself at Polgahawela with one hundred men, police and artillery. I say I want no assistance, but will he return my four men? Also does he want Kurunegala motors, as I may want them myself?

Later he replies he does not want my motors, and that he is sending up twenty artillery under an officer, and will I arrange to accommodate them?

got this at 1.5 p.m., and the train with the men arrived at 2.45, so there was not much time for preparations. However, I got the Town Hall prepared and myself met the men. On the arrival of these nien I decided not to use the police as armed parties but as patrol and beat constables, and to rely for armed parties on the artillery and Ceylon Light Infantry, who fell in, to the number of a dozen, at my house.

I gave them a little extra drill and light refreshments, and then let them go for meals in detachments, and arrange for their relieving the artillery later if

the wirebility required. Between 10 and 11.30 Assistant Superintendent of Police and I went

of keepingguler.

I think che hai round the town and found all quiet.

AYOUT go

1. Ceylon

effret

Light Infa

try.

4. Evening rounds.

6. Morning

rounds.

6. Attempt

on mosque.

7. Rox at Wooda

Wednesday, 2nd.-Out early. First dismissed Ceylon Light Infantry at 6 a.m., Later visited Town Hall. Artillery all comfortable, nothing after giving them tea. to report.

Then to police station, where all was reported "correct," except that an attempt had been made to burn a mosque at Teliyagonna. Went there. The attempt to burn the mosque, if real, was a very feeble attempt, and no particular damage seems to have been done. The Moormen purported to be plaintive over this, but otherwise all was quiet. Went also to Bazaar Street. All quiet. Returned home and did tappal. Assistant Superintendent of Police and Lieutenant Treloar went towards Weuda. Meanwhile Weuda Willi Hat Pattu Ratemahatmaya came in and reported that all were quiet in his division, except the mosque burning referred to above and a scare at Mawatagama. He had scarcely gone when the Inspector came to say that he had heard that some boutiques had been dynamited at Weuda..

Assistant Superintendent of Police came in later and said he found there had been a row at Weuda, which began after the Ratemahatmaya left, and one sort of store for oil and rags was alleged to have been dynamited, but looked as if it had been burnt. Otherwise no great damage was done. Ratemahatmaya has gone back, and 8. Potubers. I cannot see that any further action is possible. While Assistant Superintendent of Police was with me there came a report of a row at Potuhera, and he and Lieu- tenant Treloar and Mr. Hutt went thither, intending to return via Polgahawela, Giriulla, and Narammala.

A. Gathering

10. Sent re- inforcement

Meanwhile Katugampola Ratemahatmaya reported a large gathering in Hapi- near all tigam Korale on our border, near Giriulla. Wired to Government Agent, Western Province, to get his Mudaliyar to disperse them. Meanwhile, Sub-Inspector, Giriulla, said that a riot was imminent, and asked help, so I sent one non-commis- sioned officer and four artillery with a Justice of Peace to Giriulla about 1.30 p.m. Meanwhile, a rumour reaches me that Mr. de Mel's manager has brought 300 plum- bago pit coolies and is hiding them in the garden near the Maligawa. Sent a spy to try and find out. No truth in it.

11. Rumour.

12. Special constables.

13. Virfullm

Also swore in ten Excise peons as special constables, and sent them to help police. Various excursions and alarms in shape of letters and telegrams about apprehended rows up to past midnight, when I went to bed.

At 1 a.m. Messrs. Tyler and Hutt returned and reported a row at Giriulla, which

riot. Five men they stopped, the Punjabis killing three men and wounding some more.

in all were killed, two

more dying

later.

14. Holiday.

15. Drill.

Lieutenant Treloar and about nine Punjabis left behind. The row occurred through the Hapitigam Korale mob trying to rush the bridge and get into Giriulla bazaar. Got to bed at last about 1.30 a.m.

Thursday, 3rd.-Holiday for King's birthday. Up at 5.30 a.m., and drove round town. Afterwards drilled Ceylon Light Infantry. Inspector-General of Police wires for the artillery. Arranged to send them off, and got Punjabis in exchange. This meant a lot of rushing about the place and getting new cooking

16. Punjab utensils, etc.

arrive

JAW.

Private Secretary wired to know if 1 considered martial law should be pro- 17. Martial claimed. Said I did not think it necessary at present, but there was no objection.

The same evening informed that Inspector-General of Police was leaving Polga- hawela, Mr. Forrest remaining in charge. At 7.30 p.m. received instructions from Colonial Secretary that martial law had been proclaimed in this Province. Started 18. Closed out at once with Assistant Superintendent of Police and a posse of constables to shops and close all shops and taverns and clear the streets. By 8.30 the place was deserted streets.

Got dinner at 9 p.m., and started out again in a car to go round streets. All 19. Evening quiet and police on alert.

cleared

rounds.

rounds,

21. Martial

Friday, 4th. Round town at 7 a.m. All quiet. Sent out instructions to Rate- 2 Morning mahatmayas about martial law and closing taverns, and had the fact tom-tomed at the Kachcheri. I did not send a tom-tom beater round the streets, as that would law instruc have created a riot at once, but I read it out myself and had it read out in Tamil and tions. Sinhalese in my presence at about a dozen street corners all over the town.

Giriulla.

Assistant Superintendent of Police went to Giriulla again and reported all let at quiet there, and brought back a lot of prisoners.

A report of some attempted looting near Weuda. The Weuda police and the 23. Reported Ratemahatmayas must see to this.

looting.

Sent an armed party to Potuhera, where a row was anticipated. Also called 24. Armed out Ceylon Light Infantry permanently for the present and housed them in the party, Pota- armoury. Drilled them from 5 to 6. A Punjabi Naik came and criticised!

Also drove round town to see that boutiques were closed and people out of the

streets.

hera.

25. Ceylon Light Infan

ry called up. 28. Boutiques closed early.

Motored round later at about 11 p.m. with Assistant Superintendent of Police. 27. Evening All reported correct so far.

rounds. 28. Chillaw

I forgot to mention that I had wired to Assistant Government Agent, Puttalam and Puttalam and Chilaw, from whom I have not heard, asking what was happening there and if he wanted help. He wired that there had been looting at Madampe and Nattandiya, and that he was going there. Later he wired from Madampe that looting had been found in the house of one Herathami, and wanted instructions. I could only say

Charge the man and any others found looting or in possession of loot."

Saturday, 5th.--Drove round town at 6.30 a.m. All correct. Drill afterwards. 29. Morning Deputy Inspector-General of Police wired to know if 1 still required Punjabis here. I replied in affirmative.

Several reports of small alarms and looting in isolated places.

rounds.

30. Punjabis

still required.

肇

31. Small alarms. 92. Kuliya-

Mr. Tyler went to Kuliyapitiya and returned with more prisoners, meanwhile there was some hitch about sending off a batch of forty-eight remand prisoners by pitiya the 2.15 train, all the remands not being ready., I added an armed guard and got 59. Prisoners. them off at 5 p.m., wiring to Kandy. Also drove round town. Boutiques closed.

Also drilled for an hour. A great demand for passes to be out after 6 p.m. Am 14. Drill. cutting them down as much as possible.

35. Pases.

Round town in evening between 10 and 11, the place quite clear and police 6. Evening reported all correct. The Magistrate and Assistant Superintendent of Police went rounds. with me.

Assistant Government Agent wired from Chilaw that he had dispersed looters 37. Madampe at Madampe, and prevented a fight between the Moors and Sinhalese, and that all was quiet.

Sent out instructions to Ratemahatmayas about getting in weapons.

•

38. Calling in gune.

In the middle of the day the Ceylon Light Infantry played a cricket match on 19. Cricket. the green near the armoury.

Assistant, Superintendent of Police went to Kuliyapitiya to inquire into things 40. Scouring there, with Punjabis in attendance.

party.

of Punjabi.

Meanwhile, Mr. Macdonald came to change all the men here for no particular 11. Change reason apparently. It gave me a good deal of trouble and wasted half my day!

Round town in evening. All quiet here, but, of course, all sorts of rumours 42 Evening about. Howls from the Moormen of Wellawa as to projected attack on their big

rounds and boutique there. Sent out police on a special train.

48, Wollawa Drill also at 7 a.m. Later went to see 41. Drill, etc.

rumour.

Sunday, 6th-Round town early. Assistant Superintendent of Police. Kuliyapitiya all right. Assistant Superin-ya- tendent of Police returns with dismal reports of actions taken by Mr. Wickre mesinghe, who seems to have allowed the Sinhalese boutique keepers of Kuliyapitiya to arm themselves with sticks and clubs "to resist an attack on the town," while the police, unarmed, were sitting in the police station. Mr. Tyler turned out the police with carbines and ball cartridge, and collected the clubs from the boutique

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