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(Secret and Personal.)
2.
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Enclosure 2 in No. 45.
MARTIAL LAW.
Order for all Volunteers, Town Guards, and Special Constables, in case of
Sudden Rising.
VOLUNTEERS who are not armed should parade at the nearest Armoury, where rifles and ammunition will be distributed among them, as far as these are available. Order for Firing.-Fire without warning on any crowd armed with dan- gerous weapons such as guns, swords, iron bars, katties, knives, and clubs, picking out the ringleaders if possible; also on all persons looting, inflicting injury to persons or property, burning, dynamiting, running away with loot or from looted premises.
On no account will firing in the air be practised, as it only gives a false impres sion of the effectiveness of rifle fire.
Firing should be strictly limited to the actual necessities of each case, and when the disturbance is subsiding milder measures may suitably be substituted for it.
H. H. L. MALCOLM, Brigadier-General,
Commanding the Troops, Ceylon.
Colombo, 2nd August, 1915.
(Confidential.)
Enclosure 3 in No. 45.
CEYLON VOLUNTEER FORCE.
Memorandum by the Acting Commandant, Ceylon Volunteer Force, on duties to be carried out by Volunteers at outstations in case of riots.
1. THE Secret and Personal" Circular of 2nd August, 1915, issued during Martial Law by the Brigadier-General Commanding the Troops, Ceylon, to Com- manding Officers and Detachment Commanders, and also to isolated Europeans, gives the principles to be followed for protection of outstations in case of riots. The following is only an amplification of the same for information of those concerned.
2. A Senior Volunteer Officer (European) will be named by the Commandant, Ceylon Volunteer Force, for each district, and this Officer should arrange his own details and see that his scheme (which must be consistent with the Officer Command- ing Troops' circular of 2nd August) is carried out for his district in case of riots occurring. All circulars, orders, etc., from Ceylon Volunteer Force headquarters will be directed to these Senior Volunteer Officers of Districts.
3. Towns in most cases have their own Town Guards, and it is therefore not intended that Senior Volunteer Officers of Districts will interfere with Town Guard arrangements for protection of towns. Senior Volunteer Officers will have their time fully occupied by looking after those parts of their districts where there are no Town Guards. Protection of towns is presumed to be in the hands of Town Guards, who are not expected to perform services out of their towns, unless under special instructions. Co-operation between Town Guards and out-Districts' Forces is very necessary.
4. A Transport Officer (European) will be named by the Commandant, Ceylon Volunteer Force, for each Province, and a Transport corporal (European) for each district. It will be the duty of these officers to study the best means of transport available from place to place of the area under their charge, and to be ready at short notice to provide facilities for carriage of troops, non-combatants, and supplies as required. They should keep up to date lists of all cars, lorries, carts, etc., available. A Supply Officer (European) will be named by the Commandant, Ceylon Volunteer Force, for each Province, and a Supply corporal (European) for each district. Subject to the control of the local Revenue Officer, it will be the duty of these officers to keep themselves informed of the rice and other supplies available on the estates and bazaars, etc., of the area, and to keep in touch with the transport arrangements of that area. so that supplies may be furnished speedily to particular points required.
5.
8. Under this circular it is intended that every isolated planter undertakes the protection of his own belongings with the assistance of his loyal retainers, and it is not till this object has been secured that planters are to collect into groups for wider operations, leaving their belongings in charge of their retainers while doing so
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7. In the country no larger unit than a motor patrol is, as a rule, desirable or necessary; larger concentrations should be firmly discouraged as tending unduly to leave the estates to the care of underlings.
8. No collection of women and children should be encouraged. These can be protected perfectly well in their own houses by their own Europeans.
9. The District Senior Volunteer Officer will work in co-operation with the civil authorities. He will be in complete command of all his District Forces, subject to such exceptions as are mentioned in this circular. He is not to give orders to Imperial troops, which are acting under direct orders from the Officer Commanding Troops, Ceylon. Imperial troops have orders to assist generally, but are not to be moved without the authority of the Officer Commanding Regular Troops under whom they are acting.
10. During the operation of Martial Law, the issue of rifles to Europeans has already been provided for by the Officer Commanding Troops in his circulars of 25th June and 6th July against a deposit of Rs. 20 to be made for each rifle. Europeans on estates possessing other arms of their own may in an emergency issue such arms to others whom they can trust, who should also be enrolled as Special Constables. Persons not enrolled as Special Constables are civilians, and have no more right to fire than any other civilians.
11. When firing is necessary all orders should be given by the officer or non- commissioned officer in command of the party. If Martial Law is not in force and the civil authority require that firing or other military force should be employed, it is the duty of the civil official to give his instructions to the Officer Commanding or senior member of the military party and not to give any instructions to separate individual members of the party.
(For convenience of reference, a copy is attached of the memorandum enclosed in the Colonial Secretary's Special Circular of 14th August, 1915, on firing when Martial Law is not in force.)
12. The scheme being defensive and not offensive, individuals should not move out of their own districts or take any action beyond the protection of themselves, their dependants, and property, without direct instructions from the Revenue Officer, their Senior Volunteer Officer, or authorized Military Officer.
13. Officers drawing up local schemes should make the best use of local trust- worthy individuals of all classes. Bicycle messengers, watchmen, bazaar guards, fire picquets, etc., can be appointed and, to a certain extent, trained in their respective duties.
14. Efficient means of communication are a necessary branch of the scheme, and should be most carefully arranged. Estates should consider the strong advis ability of developing telephone communications throughout their districts. A list
of all telephone connexions should be kept up to date by the Senior Volunteer Officer, Transport, and Supply Officers.
15. Every person connected with this organization scheme should know what the others are expected to do as well as what he himself is expected to do in case of a call to arms being made.
16. Coolies should be cautioned against allowing strangers to come into their lines, as these may be bad characters and may cause them trouble if they do so; but nothing should be done to cause a panic amongst estate labour, and the greatest care should be used to avoid creating any form of racial feeling. assume the co-operation of all races.
The scheme should
17. A careful distinction must be made between those areas subject to Martial Law and those which are not. The Officer Commanding Troops' circular of 2nd August, 1915, applies, with regard to firing, to districts where Martial Law has been declared.
.18. If actual disturbances are occurring and measures are being taken under Martial Law to deal with them, District Senior Volunteer Officers should, when con- venient opportunities offer. submit very brief reports of the situation by post or telegram to the Army Headquarters, Colombo.
If Martial Law be not in operation, the above reports will be addressed to the local Revenue Officer.
19. No European in the island should be without some share in this scheme. There is a place for every one, as a member of a Volunteer Corps, as a Town Guards- man, or as a Special Constable.
14th August, 1915.
E. J. HAYWARD, Lieut.-Col., Acting Commandant, Ceylon Volunteer Force.
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