PUNJAB REBELLION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 209, 29 May 1920, Page 7

PUNJAB REBELLION

REPORT OF COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY DYER'S GRAVE ERROR AT AMRITSAR By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Rec. May 28, 7.30 p.m.) Simlai May 2G. 'I he report of the committee which inquired into the Punjab rebellion has been published. Publication was withheld till now owing to the tension existing over the Turkish peace terms. Tho document coutains majority and minority reports. The former states that General Dyer committed a grave error in ordering the troops, to fire on the crowd at Amritsar; This practically •is vhc only serious censure in the majority report, which is signed by the European members of the committee The minority report, signed bv the three Indian members, condemns martial law as a system of terror inflicted on the people. Yhe majority, report justifies martial law, though there is no evidence of: organised conspiracy .to overthrow the British. Government. - The majority members of the committee consider tlw't General Dyer honestly believed be was doing right in the difficult circumstauces. Cable Assn.

MILITARY COMMENT ONREPORT

"DYER'S ACTION ABSOLUTE!,!" ESSENTIAL."

(Rec. May 28, 8.45 p.m.) London, May 27. General. Dyer declined to comment on the Hunter report, beyond saying, that events will justify him. The military ■view strongly supports General Dyer. Sir George Younghusband declares that General Dyer took the oni) possible step to stop the nalive rising, and the whites in India, especially the women, thank him. Sir 0 Moore Creagh,' the former Commander-in-Chief in India, says: "Sedition in India will be encouraged hy this daninablo report. General Dyer's .action, was absolutely, essential."—Aus.N.Z. Cable Assn.

A White Paper issued by the India Office at the end of January stated that the special trouble at Amristar was duo to its being a distributing centre for piece goods and grain for' Northern India, which were much affected by variations in prices due to speculation. Difficulties also arose from Agitators arousing Islamic feeling and sympathy. The disorders included a,-brutal, attack upon Miss Sherwood, the sacking of tho National Bank, and '.lie murders of the manager and assistant-manager, also at,tncks on two other banks. The prompt arrival of troops limited the disorder to the town. Aeroplanes were also sent oft from Lahore and dropped bombs and fired machine-guns upon the crowds which were burning and looting the town. Nino persons were thus killed. .Tho troops firod IGSO rounds at Amritsar on April 13. The civil authorities estimate that 2!)0 were killed, none of whom were children except one boy of ten years and four toys under fifteen. Many people wero whipped for being out of their houses between 8 o'clock in the evening and 5 o'clock, in the morning, but no old and -feeblo man was flogged. The social status of an offender was taken into consideration. An AngloTndian Magistrate who sentenced members of a marriage partv to flogging for forming an illegal assembly was promptly deprived of his powers.