CO885-(21-23) — Page 578

سل سلسا

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 885

22 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC.

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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136

No. 69.

NYASALAND.

THE UNITED FREE CHURCH (LIVINGSTONIA MISSION) to COLONIAL

OFFICE.

(Received 29th January, 1914.)

[Copies to Tropical Diseases Bureau and Governor, No. 34, 4th February, 1914.

L.F.F.]

[Answered by No. 70.]

United Free Church Offices,

232, St. Vincent Street, Glasgow, 28th January, 1914.

Sleeping Sickness.

DEAR SIR,

I HAVE been instructed by the Livingstonia Sub-Committee of the Foreign Mission Committee of the United Free Church to tell you that we received the other day a letter, dated 28th November, 1913, from the Rev. Alexander. Hetherwick, D.D., of Blantyre, Nyasaland, in which he says:-

"In the Government Gazette' for October four new districts have been declared to be infected with sleeping sickness; two of them--South Nyasa and Upper Shire-embrace the districts lying along the upper river and round the south end of Lake Nyasa. The main highway to the lake is now within the infected area and, as they are both infested with tsetse fly, danger to travellers and native porterage is imminent. Government has demon- strated that game and tsetse are connected, yet they have taken no action in the matter. They are sending out another expert, and the old Commission is still working, costing the country over £5,000 a year. We had the Colonial Secretary's promise to our deputation two years ago that, as soon as facts are discovered, he would take action.'

11

Further, the Nyasaland Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce sent to the Governor of Nyasaland the following resolution :—

..

That this Committee of the Nyasaland Chamber of Agriculture and Commerce view with grave apprehension the notice in the Gazette of the 31st October, 1913, declaring four new districts to be under certain Rules The as proved to be infected with sleeping sickness. Committee would draw Government's attention to the statement made by His Majesty's Colonial Secretary that Government would not fail to act as soon as facts were forthcoming proving a connection between game and tsetse. This Committee is strongly of the opinion that, in view of the near approach of the infection to the commercial centres of Zomba and Blantyre, the time has come when drastic action should be taken to prevent the danger of the further spread of the disease by the migration of game into these and neighbouring districts."

These are weighty and important statements, and we are sure you will agree with us in thinking that the time has now come for the Government to take immediate action. I am asked to remind you of what you said to the influential deputation which waited upon you at the Colonial Office on the 23rd of November, 1911. I quote from the official report. Mr. Harcourt

had received a deputation in the summer from the Fauna Society, and he had told them what he desired to repeat now, that if the evidence made clear the danger of any one species to the human race science must give way to the interests of humanity. The deputation in their Memorandum seemed to imagine that a delay of three years would be necessary in connection with the Commissions which had been sent out to Africa, but he assured them that was not the case. Professor Newstead had already furnished him with some results of his work, and he assured them in conclusion that he would not hesitate to act if he got any information which he considered of the nature of definite proof."

• Enclosure in No. 11 in [Cd. 6871).

137

On 16th April, 1912, in your reply to Dr. Chapple in the House of Commons,* you admitted that it had been satisfactorily shown that the common tsetse fly called Glossina morsitans transmits in nature as well as in laboratory experiments the human trypanosomiasis," and you added: "it follows that every effort must be made in Nyasaland and Rhodesia to destroy where it is possible, and elsewhere to avoid, this species of tsetse fly."

The report of Sir David Bruce now confirms the connection between game and tsetse, and I am asked to express the hope that the Government will no longer delay to act in this urgent matter.

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I am, &c.,

J. FAIRLEY DALY,

Hon. Secretary.

No. 70.

NYASALAND.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE UNITED FREE CHURCH (LIVINGSTONIA MISSION).

[Copies to Tropical Diseases Bureau and Governor, No. 34, 4th February, 1914. L.F.F.]

[Answered by No. 72.]

SIR,

Downing Street, 4th February, 1914. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 28th of January, and to request you to remind the Livingstonia Sub- Committee of the Foreign Mission Committee of the United Free Church that a Committee, presided over by the Earl of Desart, is now considering the question of the relationship between wild animals and trypanosomiasis.

Mr. Harcourt regrets that, pending the deliberations and report of the Com- mittee, he cannot take action in the matter on the lines suggested in your letter.

7678

SIR,

No. 71.

I am, &c.,

H. J. READ,

for the Under-Secretary of State.

SIERRA LEONE.

THE ACTING GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 2nd March, 1914.)

(No. 96.)

Government House, Sierra Leone,

17th February, 1914.

WITH reference to your despatch, No. 508, of the 2nd of December, 1913, on the subject of the Regulations which were made by the Governor-in-Council on the 29th of September last under Section 2 of the Wild Animals, Birds, and Fish Preser- vation Ordinance, 1901, I have the honour to report that the Regulations in question have been repealed and re-enacted with two amendments. I enclose herewith copies of the Regulations which were passed by the Governor-in-Council on the 9th instant, together with the Acting Attorney-General's report thereon.

2. It will be observed that the instruction contained in paragraph 2 of your despatch under reference has been carried out; and it has been considered advisable to define clearly the position under these Regulations of military officers in the service of the Imperial Forces.

I have, &c.,

Appendix to [CA. 6671],

† No. 69.

A. C. HOLLIS,

Acting Governor.

‡ No. 61.