CO882-10 — Page 46

48

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882/10

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH--NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

46. Scouring party.

47. Kvening rounds.

48. Drill, etc.

49. Scouring

parties.

50. More

special con stables.

78

keepers. He also gave the police instructions to fire at once if they saw a disorderly crowd anywhere. Mr. Wickremesinghe, meanwhile, had ordered them not to fire In the night, apparently, they on any in the day time without sending for him!

might fire. He also sends me a letter of complaint about Mr. Tyler's orders, and says that if his (Mr. Wickremesinghe's) orders are not carried out he will not undertake responsibility. I reply that Mr. Tyler's orders were given with my concurrence and approval, and that Mr. Wickremesinghe will be good enough to see them carried out, and, further, that I am unable to allow him to divest himself of responsibility. Assistant Superintendent of Police went on to Hettipola with a scouring party. Meanwhile, I received reports of small outbreaks in different places. I cannot see how these are to be prevented.

Drove round town at 5 p.m. and found all quiet, and again at 11 p.m., magazine guard.

Monday, 7th.-Drill at 7 a.m., afterwards drove round town.

visiting

Also arranged for various scouring parties, and saw Messrs. Erskine and Powell

Also wired to Chilaw for cars. about taking them out, cars being scarce.

Swore in a number of special constables. Also had up Messrs. Simon Silva, Monis Silva, Dissanayaka, and another Simon Silva, a pawnbroker and ex-constable. 51. Baspects and impressed on them the desirability of suggesting to their Buddhist friends that rioting in Kurunegala would result in imminent danger to their own lives, as my orders were to fire immediately a row occurred without wasting time on inviting the rowdies to disperse!

warned.

52. Evening rounda.

53. ¡frills, etc.

54. Mr. Rob-

boris.

56. More

special con.

sables

56. More

Punjabio.

Messrs. Miles, Tyler, and Round town as usual, in afternoon and evening. Powell were out with scouring parties during the day without result.

Tuesday, 8th-Drove round early. Then drill.

Mr. Forrest came to see me.

They appear to have had lively times in Rambukkana and elsewhere. Swore in a number of additional special constables.

At 3 p.m. received a wire from Officer Commanding 28th Punjabis, saying he was sending twenty-five men to arrive at 4.45, which made rather a rush to arrange for housing them. When they did arrive they were found to be mixed Sikhs and Mohammedans, so that I had a lot of trouble about separate cooking places and latrines, and with all this no intimation why they have been sent!

Also visited maga- Round town at night and arranged posts for constables, etc. zine guard of Ceylon Light Infantry, and found they had captured a car, the driver 68. Captured of which said he had been sent by the Pitigal Korale South Mudaliyar to me, but

67. Evening rounda.

car.

69. Gokarella

had no letter.

Ratemahatmaya, Hiriyala, also came in and reported slight disturbances near phplum Gokarella, probably caused by pit coolies. Sent him back to make lists of coolies

pit.

80. Drills, etc.

and explosives at the pits.

Wednesday, 9th.-Round town early.

Also drill and orderly room for Ceylon $1. Boouring Light Infantry. Sent out scouring parties in morning: Assistant Superintendent

of Police to Hettipola, Miles to Gokarella, Hutt to Weuda. reported all correct.

smrti.

62 Mr. Pat- terson.

All came back and

Mr. Patterson of Delwita meanwhile asked for assistance, so in the evening sent Assistant Superintendent of Police with some police to Ridigama. Miles, of the 61. Evening Town Guard, also went towards Gokarella again. I also went round town late at

night.

rounds.

64. Drill, ato.

68 Mr. Van- derpoorten.

06. Madure Komto pre.

cautions.

07. Provia.

clai Road

Committee and Dutrict Bood Com- mittee.

Thursday, 10th-Went round town early, all correct. room for Ceylon Light Infantry.

Then drill and orderly

The younger Mr. Vanderpoorten came and made various charges against the Weuda Willi Ratemahatmaya of connivance at rioting. Pointed out that the proof of the pudding is in the eating, and that, with the exception of one trivial case at Weuda demonstrably done when the Ratemahatmaya was miles away-and one or two other small cases, there has been no looting in Weuda Willi Hat Pattu.

Interviewed Messrs. Tyler and Patterson on position in Madure Korale, and appointed a number of planters recommended by Mr. Patterson as special constables. The rest are Volunteers and will parade armed.

Also held meetings of the Provincial Road Committee and District Road Com- mittee. At former passed assessment for maintenance of Mallowapitiya-Ramboda- galla road. At latter passed some minor road votes.

A yarn brought to me that an attack was contemplated on the Maligawa, with 60. Maligawa a suggestion that a special guard would be desirable, a suggestion which did not threatened. commend itself to me. If only the would-be rioters would attack while one was

79

somewhere about they would probably regret it, as I have a good many weapons and some ammunition. I fancy the good people who inspire these things know this, however, and my wife occasionally cleans a revolver in view of anyone about the

house!

tion.

Having some trouble in getting printed the proclamation which we are enjoined. Proclama to issue. However, managed to get out the Sinhalese copies and a few typewritten English copies and manuscript Tamil copies.

70. Clerical Resistance.

71. Suspects.

Also arranged for clerical assistance for Riot Commission. Also got a fairly full list of suspects who require to be watched. Drill in the afternoon, and drove round town again and went rounds at night. 13 vening Friday, 11th.-Drove round town early and inspected Ceylon Light Infantry 79. Morning guard at magazine. Also had drill and orderly room for Ceylon Light Infantry.

rounds.

rounds.

again.

ties.

Sent police to Wellawa by train, where a Moor boutique is threatened, also 74. Wellawa Scouring parties of Punjabis under Town Guardsmen, Miles to Hettipola, and 75. Other Assistant Superintendent of Police to Giriulla, who returned and reported all quiet. scouring par- The Wellawa and Rangama Moor people came again in course of the day to say their boutiques were threatened; so I sent out Mr. Hutt with a party of Punjabis late at night by a special train to try and trap the mob, myself went round of police point and magazine guard at night.

Saturday, 12th.-Mr. Hutt appears to have had no more luck in trying to trap the people who are threatening the Wellawa boutiques than the police. However, the ringleader, one Gunawardene, has been arrested, and perhaps things will settle

down.

rounds.

Myself went round town and magazine guard in morning, and drilled Ceylon 76. Morning Light Infantry later.

Ceylon Light Infantry played a cricket match later in day.

77. Cricket.

ination.

At midday I read my Proclamation at different centres in Kurunegala Town, 18. Procla and it was also read by the Magistrate and District Judge. A copy is attached.

Also appointed clerks for Riot Commission, and had tabular statements of 19. Clerks, offences to be inquired into made so far as they are known.

elc.

80. Scouring party.

Torma run riot

Mr. Hutt meanwhile went with a party of Punjabis to Wariapola. Received a number of sample forms for use by Commissioners, most of which are 1. Riot ridiculously elaborate. The genius who provided a column for damages awarded forms or

for personal discomfort " runs the late President Kruger very hard. If the inquiries are to be as summary as the instructions in the case it will be impossible to take note of "personal discomfort" and make fine distinctions between the Moorman who simply sat in the jungle while his house was burnt and the Moorman whose fears impelled him to roost up a tree.

Sent out party of police and Punjabis to Dodangaslande, etc., to bring in explosives from the plumbago mines.

82. Explo- sives from miner.

Ceylon Light

In afternoon received peremptory instructions-heaven knows why!-to dismiss 85. Dismissed the Ceylon Light Infantry, on indefinite leave. Did so accordingly, arranging Infantry. with Punjabis to take over magazine guard. The Ceylon Light Infantry have done good work here, and have immensely improved with daily parade. If only I had had time to dress them down a little more I think the improvement would have been still greater.

In evening received telegram modifying original instructions about compensa- 84. Modified tion. Did not go round at night for the first time since the beginning of the month. instructions. Sunday, 13th.-Round town in morning and inspected Punjabi guard on 86. Morning magazine.

rounds.

Afterwards spent some time in Ceylon Light Infantry armoury straightening 6. Ceylon up, and had the arms removed to the Kachcheri, where they will be under police Light Infan guard, and the ammunition to the District Engineer's magazine.

try arms, etc.

rington and

Mr. Codrington came from Chilaw to discuss Riot Commission, also Mr. Forrest. 87. Mr. Cod- Met Hulugalle Adigar at station and told him to return to Wanni Hat Pattu at once. Mr. Forrest.

Went round town in the afternoon, including magazine, and witnessed storage se. Explo of powder, dynamite, etc., brought from the plumbago pits. There is enough-in sives from the wrong hands-to cause serious trouble. There will now be a how! from the mine owners, I suppose. Did usual rounds at night.

mines.

89. Mr. Col.

Monday, 14th-Too many papers, so did not go round in the morning as usual. line. Mr. Collins arrived by the 10 a.m. train, and Mr. Codrington and I endeavoured to extract from him such information as we could about Mr. Fraser's procedure in so. Mr. Fr Colombo, which did not seem well adapted for this Province, where one is not likely ser's methods