CO885-24 — Page 66

119

CEYLON.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

CO. 885

24 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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

SIR,

Enclosure 5 in No. 49.

The Estate Agents' Association, Australia Buildings,

Colombo, 12th January, 1915. WITH further reference to your letter of the 18th ultimo, enclosing paraphrase of a telegram received by His Excellency the Governor from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, I now have the honour to inform you that this was laid before the members of this Association at their meeting on the 11th instant.

Association

2. The Rubber Growers'

has apparently approached the Secretary of State for the Colonies with the object of drawing attention to the fact that their European staff administering native labour upon rubber estates in the East was being dangerously depleted owing to a Press campaign in favour of recruiting, and they base their fears on two grounds :-

(1) The difficulty of controlling native labour in the absence of sufficient

European supervision.

(2) The effect on the rubber industry in the above circumstances.

3. As regards the former, this Association fully recognizes that at the outbreak of war serious difficulties and pecuniary loss might have arisen owing to panic amongst the estate labour force if the mobilization of the local volunteer force had necessitated the withdrawal of estate superintendents from their charges in large numbers, and this Association takes this opportunity of placing on record its appreciation of His Excellency's foresight in this respect. At the present time there is unlikely to be any such trouble, provided no serious set back occurs in the progress of the war.

4. It has, however, to be borne in mind that, apart from the mobilization of the local volunteer force, a large number of planters have left the island for service at the front or elsewhere. This has not yet, in the opinion of the Association, seriously affected the control of native labour on rubber estates, but if the move- ment is continued to any extent, a point will be reached when this factor will become one of vital importance.

5. As regards the second cause, it is but right and natural that all able- bodied men resident in the Colony should wish to take their part in responding to the call of their King and country, and, as you are aware, the members of this Association gave His Excellency their immediate assurance that they would do all in their power to put every facility in the way of their employees to enable them to do so. In response to this call the Ceylon contingent was formed, whilst many others made their own arrangements for proceeding to England, and the figures recently submitted to His Excellency show that over 500 Europeans must have left the Colony by now, whilst applications to leave are still being received.

6. The census figures of 1911 show that there were in the island, at that date, 4,110 British males in the Colony, of whom 2,245 were of an age that qualified them for military service. The majority of these men held responsible positions Of this number not less than in the Colony, with no reserve of men available. 500 have proceeded to Europe, 200 are members of the Ceylon Mounted Rifles, some 500 in the Ceylon Planters' Rifle Corps, whilst others have served since the outbreak of war in the Ceylon Artillery Volunteers (about twelve), Ceylon Engineer Volunteers (about seventy), and in the more recently formed Town Guard, which has supplied nearly seventy men to take the place of regulars in the Royal Garrison Artillery who are leaving for Europe. From this it will be seen that at least 70 per cent. of the men of military age are doing something for their country. 7. The greater portion of those who have left the Colony were undoubtedly drawn from the planting community. Arrangements have been made to carry on their work in the meantime, but this cannot be carried on for any length of time without considerable loss of efficiency. There is, therefore, good ground for the fears expressed by the deputation of the Rubber Growers' Association, but, in the opinion of this Association there hardly seems need to ask His Excellency to take any definite step at the present juncture, though, should occasion arise, we have no doubt that a further opportunity of submitting our views will be given us.

I am, &c.,

TOM VILLIERS,

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary,

Colombo.

Chairman.

8760

No. 50.

THE GOVERNOR to THE SECRETARY OF STATE. (Received 22nd February, 1915.)

(Confidential.)

SIR,

The Queen's House, Colombo, Ceylon, 28th January, 1915. In continuation of my Confidential despatch of the 19th January, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of the following telegraphic despatches:-

(a) Your telegram of the 20th January as to the prevention of the trans- fer of British ships to neutral flags.

The Attorney-General informs me that he finds some difficulty as to the form which the Proclamation should take, and I may have to consult you on the matter. (b) Your cipher telegram of the 20th January as to H.R.H. Princess Mary's Christmas present to the troops.

I have requested the Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General to supply me with information as to the total number of troops serving in Ceylon on that day, but I have not yet received his reply.

(c) Your telegram of the 23rd January, referring to a telegram sent by the Principal Collector of Customs to the Board of Trade on the 16th November, as to whether restrictions should be placed on exportations to the United Kingdom.

The Principal Collector of Customs has been furnished with a copy of your telegram, and I also telegraphed to you on the 25th January inquiring whether I am right in assuming that you wish me to issue Proclamations prohibiting or restricting the exportation of cocoa, vegetable oils, etc.

(d) Your telegram of the 23rd January, informing me that there is no objection on the part of His Majesty's Government to shipment of cotton to Italy being allowed to proceed.

With reference to this telegram I inquired by telegraph, on the 25th January, whether restrictions should be imposed on shipments of cotton to other neutrals.

(e) Your telegram of the 23rd January, in reply to mine of the 21st January, informing me of the arrangements made to allow of shipments of rubber to the United States of America. Also your telegram of the same date, cancelling your telegram of the 14th January as to rubber for Italy, and instructing me to refer applicants for permission to ship direct to Italy and France to the Committee on Rubber Exports. Also your telegram of the 23rd January, allowing the exportation to Vladivostock of 100 tons of raw rubber per month by Bosanquet & Company.

On the 25th January I telegraphed to you that I had given permission to cer tain firms to ship rubber to Japan, and on the 28th I again telegraphed, with refer- ence to your telegram of the 23rd January, that local applications to ship will be submitted to you through me, and that I presumed the arrangement applied to all shipments to non-British destinations except those as to which you have given per- mission to export. I further stated that the permission referred to in my telegram of the 25th January as to shipments to Japan had not been conveyed to the firms mentioned in that telegram, and inquired whether I should approve export in those

cases.

(f) I have also received your telegrams of the 19th (two), 21st and 22nd January, on the subject of the wireless telegraph station about to be estab- lished by the Admiralty in the neighbourhood of Dondra Head.

I telegraphed to you on the same subject on the 21st and 25th January. On receipt of your telegram of the 19th instant a Committee, consisting of Lieutenant Cooke, Major Harvey, R.E. (kindly placed at my disposal by the Officer Command- ing the Troops), the Naval Intelligence Officer, and the Director of Public Works, proceeded to Matara, and after inspection of the neighbourhood selected a site about seven miles inland north of Dondra Head. I have taken steps to obtain early pos- session of the site and to have ready the materials asked for in your telegrame.

* No. 49.

120

CEYLON.