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NYASALAND.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :—

CO. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGREŠNOT TO

The Secretary of State telegraphed that he left the question of releasing the German reservists to the discretion of the Governor's Deputy. It was decided that heads of firms and their clerks should be released, also the Germans sent here from Dahomey previous to the declaration of war, provided that these latter were guaranteed by well-known German residents in Lagos; the same method was adopted The remainder, chiefly ex-seamen, etc., in the provinces, both north and south. from the branch boats, were kept interned, and as soon as possible were sent to the encampment which was being formed at Ibadan.

A Prisoners of War Bureau was constituted, Mr. Alexander, Commissioner of Lands, being placed in charge. He took over the duties on the 12th of August.

18th August.-Information was received that war had broken out with Austria. The necessary instructions were at once given to the Reporting and Detaining Officers, the Officer in Charge of the Prisoners of War Bureau, and the Inspector-General of Police.

14th August.-A telegram was received from the Secretary of State directing that British vessels should not be held up or advised to remain in ports. Shipping companies and ports were warned accordingly.

A telegram was received from the Secretary of State directing that, except when immediate attack was feared, lights and lighthouses should be kept up. As instructions had already been issued that ships arriving from eastward or westward should not approach the Lagos roads after a certain hour and within a certain distance, and taking into consideration that the trade route is practically confined to Messrs. Elder Dempster and Company's ships, and there was a possibility of attack from sea, the Acting Director of Marine strongly advised that lights should remain out; to this the Governor's Deputy agreed.

A meeting was held with the members of the Chamber of Commerce, who pro- tested that the Germans were deliberately underselling the British firms, that they had already disposed of large stocks at absurd prices previous to their arrest as prisoners of war, and now that they were released on parole they were adopting similar measures. The Governor's Deputy accordingly decided that the Germans should be prohibited from trading. Instructions were issued accordingly, and the Secretary of State informed.

15th August.—In pursuance of instructions from England a notice was issued applying to Austria-Hungary all the Proclamations hitherto issued in connexion with the German Empire.

A telegram was also received from the Secretary of State, asking this Govern- ment to refuse all clearance to ships under the British flag carrying palm kernels to neutral ports unless satisfied that the true destination was not Germany or Austria. Instructions were issued accordingly.

16th August. The equipment and arming of the Nigerian land contingent at Lagos was completed, and a special service in connexion with the movement was held in the Colonial Chapel, at which Bishop Tugwell officiated.

17th August. Some difficulty having arisen as to the manner in which the various firms should pay their Customs dues, owing to the bank having refused to discount the bills of the majority of the smaller firms, it was decided that the firms should be called upon to deposit with the Crown Agents sufficient funds, inform- ing this Government by telegram at the firm's expense. On receipt of this telegram the goods would be released from Customs. On this day the prisoners of war were transferred to the camp at Ibadan.

19th August. In consequence of a telegram from the Secretary of State, postal censorship on all German and Austrian mail matter was instituted, the Post- master-General being duly authorized under the Post Office Proclamation.

A telegram was received from the Secretary of State to the effect that the Admiralty had given an assurance that steps had been taken to cover and protect both shipping and local interests on the West Coast of Africa. Instructions were accordingly given to the Acting Director of Marine that the precautions at Bonny and Forcados, including, as they did, mine-laying near Sapele and Degema, should cease, and the officers and boats were recalled. At Lagos no change was made, with the exception of relighting the light in the lighthouse.

A Proclamation was issued giving the Governor power to requisition all steam or motor craft, etc., when necessary.

38176

SIR,

(Secret.)

No. 82.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE.

(Received 5th October, 1914.)

Government House, Zomba, Nyasaland Protectorate,

14th August, 1914.

I RECEIVED On the 30th of July your telegram in cipher directing that, in consequence of strained relations between His Majesty's Government and certain foreign Powers (not then named), the measures laid down for the precautionary stage in the Defence Scheme should be adopted. This was communicated imme- diately to the Officer Commanding the Troops, and to members of the Executive Council present in Zomba, and the following steps were taken :-

(1) All men serving in the King's African Rifles who were on leave were recalled, and the Reserve, which had recently completed its training for the year, was again called out.

(2) Appointments were made of certain civilian officers and others to the staff of the Officer Commanding the Troops, namely:-

Intelligence Officer: Mr. McKay, Transport Department;

Signalling Officer: Captain Caldecott, Royal Garrison Artillery, A.D.C.; Principal Medical Officer: Dr. Stannus, Medical Officer, Zomba; Transport Officer: Mr. Cruise, Assistant Resident, Chiradzulu; Supply Officer: Mr. Northern, Native Affairs Branch; Telegraphist: Mr. Jepson, Post Office.

Field Paymaster: Mr. Metcalfe, Treasury;

and Medical Officers were told off for attachment to the various columns and the "Guendolen

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(3) The following were appointed with temporary commissions as officers of the King's African Rifles Reserve, under the Officer Commanding the Troops :-

Captain H. W. Stevens, Planter, Reserve of Officers, late Officer Command-

ing, King's African Rifles, as Company Commander;

Mr. G. R. Ritchie, Resident, Ncheu, Local Captain and Company Com-

mander;

Lieut. M. A. Muir, Planter, Special Reserve of Officers, Subaltern; Mr. G. N. Beaumont, Public Works Department, Local Lieutenant;

Mr. R. B. Wade, late Special Reserve, Royal Garrison Artillery, Local

Lieutenant.

(4) The Senior Officer. Marine Transport Department, was instructed to

for service. prepare the Government gunboat "Guendolen

(5) All leave of officers was stopped, and certain of them who were at Chinde were recalled with the exception of Judge Griffin.

(6) A strict censorship of the Press and telegrams was instituted, with Mr. Moggridge, Resident at Blantyre, as censor. The only newspaper in the Protec- torate is published at Blantyre, and work in regard to the censorship of telegrams was rendered easy by the fact that all messages, even those originating in the Protectorate and for delivery within it, pass the head office at Blantyre.

(7) Arrangements for keeping the telegraph offices open throughout the night. and for the immediate delivery of urgent telegrams, were very readily agreed to by the African Transcontinental Telegraph Company.

(8) The heads of Civil Departments were summoned and their duties under the Defence Scheme, both during the precautionary stage and at the war stage. were explained to them

2. I was unable to inform the Administrator, Rhodesia, at once, as it did not seem to me expedient to use the ordinary code for so important a message; but communication was ultimately opened up through the High Commissioner, South Africa, and I have since been in communication with the Resident Commissioner, Salisbury. I have also communicated with the Governor, British East Africa, as to the measurer being taken in that Protectorate.