CO129-414 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [10-11] — Page 123

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entrenched in and from which all my arguments have failed to dislo

them. It is, as indicated in my despatch, that as a state of war

exists in the Colony every civilian in it is in the position of a

camp-follower, and as Commanding Officers have unlimited control

over camp-followers therefore they can do what they like with any

civilian.

This point of view has led to some transactions which I cann

but describe as scandalous. The following are cases to which I had

take strong exception. Unfortunately the Police allowed themselves

to get mixed up in all three; which weakened my hands. But the

responsibility for all that was done rests with the Provost Maraha

(an ex-Captain R.A.) and a certain Colonel commanding a district

here for the purpoms of the defence of the Colony.

(a) A graduate of Cambridge and former member of the Univers

Volunteer Corps, well-known to Mr A.E.Wood of this servi

and vouched for by nim as a patriotic Englishman, over-

burdened however with a conscience of the non-conformist

type, was passing through nere on his way to Melbourne t

seek employment as a sobolmaster. He had various conversa

tions with well-known English residents on the subject

the War, in which he expressed the view that England was

hasty in declaring war on Germany and that the German A

would probably prove victorious unless a different atra

were adopted. One of these conversations must have been

overheard by a lady occupying the next room in the first class Hotel in which the budding strategist was staying. The information was carried to the Provost Harshal who summoned the young man to his presence, and rated him as a pro-German. On returning to his hotel the young man found that his room had been turned inside out by the Military Police, a civil policeman summoned by the Assistant Provost Karshal to assist, and the Assistant Provost Marshal himself. The latter even searched the person of the young man: who, when he asked to see the ** warrant under which the search was made, was told that " "under martial law the Provost Marshal could do what he liked". Note the relapse to the bogey of Martial Law. If I had not intervened it is not unlikely that the young man would have sought satisfaction in the Police Court. When I told General Kelly so, he remarked that under military law he had every right to do what had been done, though he was obliged to me for avoiding the scandal of Police Court proceedings.

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(b). An Englishman, 25 years resident and well-known in

Shanghai, where for many years (up to three years ago) he had been in the employ of the German Firm of Carlowitz and CO..

came down here recently to set up in business on his

own account. Two Germans travelled with him in the steamer.

For some reason or other the Captain of the ship thought

the Englishman's relations with the German were suspicious. On arrival here, the Englishman took passage to Canton on

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