CO885-24 — Page 27

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

6T

Reference :-

C.O. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

42

CEYLON.

though subject to the condition that the selection of men to serve with the contin- gent should be made with a due regard to the interests of the estates and the main- tenance of good order amongst the Indian cooly population.

On the 14th instant I had an opportunity of discussing this matter with the Brigadier-General Commanding the Troops, and after consultation with him I despatched to you a telegram informing you that I hoped to be able to raise locally a contingent of about three hundred Europeans, of whom one hundred could be I still await the reply of the War Office, mounted, if the War Office so desired.

which I trust may be favourable to my proposal.

In order that no time may be lost should my offer be accepted, I have authorized the Adjutant of the Ceylon Mounted Rifles and Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps to receive the names of those who desire to volunteer for service with the proposed contingent. I enclose a copy of a notification issued to the Press on the 17th instant, and communicated to the members of the two corps through their Detach- ment Commanders. As soon as the list of applicants is complete the Chairman of the Planters' Association will take such steps as may be necessary to eliminate therefrom the names of those planters whose presence on the estates may be con- Out of the sidered to be essential for the purposes of control and management. remainder it will, I am confident, be possible to select a body of men of good physique and with some military training, who should prove of service to the Mother Country and do credit to the Colony.

The number of applicants who have sent in their names to the Adjutant up to date is 131.

4. I enclose a copy of the Gazette Extraordinary No. 6650 of 15th_instant,* notifying the issue of a Proclamation applying to Austro-Hungary all War Pro- clamations and the Shipping Order in Council, as directed in your telegram of the 14th instant. Also a copy of Gazette Extraordinary No. 6651 of 17th instant,* notifying that Austrian ships are allowed to leave Colombo up to midnight of the 22nd instant. As reported by telegram on the 14th instant, the only Austrian This vessel, being of Joszef Agost Fohereczeg." vessel detained here was the s.s. 2,680 tons gross tonnage and not otherwise liable to permanent detention, was allowed to sail on the 18th instant.

5. I received also your telegram of 14th instant, directing that clearance should be refused to any ship under the British flag carrying copra or rubber to a neutral destination in Europe, unless it should be proved to my satisfaction that the goods were not actually intended for delivery to Germany or to Austro-Hungary, and instructing me to report the facts to the Board of Trade in the case of similar cargoes carried under a neutral flag. The necessary instructions were issued to the Principal Collector of Customs.

6. By your telegram of the 16th instant you instructed me to release the 8.8. "Teespool," a ship belonging to the firm of Messrs. Ropner, which you were informed was detained at Colombo apparently owing to her having German cargo on board.

The facts are that the ship in question was under charter to convey cargoes of manure from Angaur, an island, as I understand, in the Pacific, held on lease from the German Government by a company in Bremen. She arrived in Colombo with a cargo of manure consigned to Rotterdam and presumably destined eventually for Germany.

Not only did it appear that it would be contrary to the spirit of the instructions conveyed by your telegram referred to in the last preceding paragraph to allow her to proceed, but the Attorney-General advised that under instructions previously received (vide O.D.C. Memo. No. 470 M., page 122, Section V.) the con- tract under which the ship had been chartered before the outbreak of war, being an executory one, was avoided, and that should the British subjects concerned proceed with the execution of the contract they would be guilty of the offence of trading with the enemy. The Principal Collector of Customs accordingly declined to issue clear- ance for the vessel until the cargo of manure had been landed.

In view, however, of the explicit instructions contained in your telegram, clearance was issued and the "Teespool" sailed from Colombo on the 19th instant, under guarantee to proceed direct to Falmouth, subject to the further orders of His Majesty's Government.

* Not reprinted.

49

CEYLON.

7. I received on the 16th instant your telegram of the 15th, asking that the replies to your despatch "General," of 28th November, 1895,* might be brought up to date and particulars and samples of the leading lines of articles of trade between this Colony and Germany and Austro-Hungary furnished by the earliest oppor- tunity. Steps are being taken to supply the information desired.

8. I received yesterday your telegram of the 18th asking that all letters and parcels posted in or addressed to Germany, her Colonies, and Austro-Hungary, should be detained and submitted to the Censor. The procedure indicated has, in point of fact, been in force locally since the inception of the war.

9. I may mention that under an Order of the Government of India the exportation from that country of a number of articles of food and naval and The prohibitions include amongst military stores has recently been prohibited.

other things cattle and lead.

It was represented to me by the Manager of the Colombo Commercial Com- pany that the cessation of the import of pig-lead from Burma to Ceylon was a matter seriously affecting the interests of the tea-planting industry in this Colony, inas- much as the Company imports large quantities of this article and supplies the majority of the estates in the island with rolled "tea-lead" for the lining of tea chests.

The Mayor of Colombo also represented that the prohibition against the importation of cattle from India would gravely affect the meat market of Colombo, where it was anticipated that the existing stocks of cattle would only suffice to meet As a temporary the requirements of the population for a matter of some days. measure of relief I authorized the transport of cattle for slaughter free of cost by rail to Colombo from some of the outlying provinces, where large herds of cattle and goats, though of inferior quality, are commonly to be found.

I

At the same time I approached the Government of India by telegraph with a view to the relaxation of the prohibition as regards both pig-lead and cattle The reply of the Government of India being exported from India to Ceylon. delayed, I judged it desirable, in view of the grave importance of the matter to this Colony, to solicit your support and intervention through the India Office. accordingly telegraphed to you on the 18th instant. I am glad to be able to report that, as intimated to you by telegraph this afternoon, I received on the 18th even- ing telegraphic advice that the Indian authorities were prepared to grant the desired facilities to exporters to Ceylon.

10. With regard to the question of food supply generally the position appears to be satisfactory. At the outset of the war there was a disposition amongst the retail traders in some localities to raise their prices unduly. Instructions were, however, issued to the Government Agents to take steps to make it known by beat of tom-tom and personal warning that traders found raising their prices without The action taken appears to have had good reason would be severely dealt with. the desired effect.

Wholesale prices remain practically unchanged since the commencement of the war, notwithstanding the anxiety shown in some quarters to press on the available supplies of rice by laying in stocks forthwith for a liberal period in advance. But for this I should have looked to see by now some slight drop in wholesale quota- tions, owing to the shrinkage of the European demand.

11. In accordance with your instructions to detain as prisoners of war all German, Austrian, and Hungarian officers and reservists, whether naval or mili- tary, who may be found in Ceylon, there have been detained up to the present a total of 232 prisoners. These prisoners were for some time accommodated, under guards composed of military and police, on the German vessels detained in Colombo harbour. But with the institution of Prize Court proceedings in respect of these ships it has become necessary to provide accommodation for the prisoners on shore. I have accordingly caused them to be removed to Ragama, where they are located in I have appointed Mr. W. E. the old camp erected for the Boer prisoners of war. Wait, of the Civil Service, who is also a captain in the Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps, as Commandant of the camp, and the requisite guards are provided by a company of the Ceylon Light Infantry, under the command of Captain F. H. de Vos, V.D., of Galle.

* pp. 16-21 of [C. 8449], July, 1897.