UNREST IN INDIA

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 247, 13 July 1920, Page 5

UNREST IN INDIA

» DYER CASE DEBATED IN HOUSE OF COMMONS ' PROHIBITION AGAINST FRIGHTFULNESS t By Teleeraph-Press Associatioa-Copyrieht (Rec. July 12, 8.15 p.m.) j \ London, July 10. , Continuing the debate in the House of Commons on the India Office vote, Sir , Edward Carson entered a passionate . plea, for General Dyer, urging that a ! man ought not to be punished for deal- > ing lo the best of his ability with a ' situation for which he was not in the slightest degree responsible. Mr. W. S. Churchill explained at . length the Army Regulations wi'-h refert onco to retirement, adding that the Army j Council's decision was reached unanit mously. Mr. Churchill, while assenting i to the Council's decision, held himself 1 fr.ee. in the event of Cabinet deciding 3 otherwise, to make further submissions to the Crown for the retirement of General Dyer from the Army. , Cabinet, however, accepted the conclu--1 sions of the Army Council. .! Mr. Churchill described the Jnllian- . wallaghbagh incident as a monstrous event, standing out in sinister isolation, ■ and proceeded to lay down four broad lines for the guidance of officers: (1) Is r the crowd attacking anything or any- , body? (2) Is the crowd armed? (3) No more force should be used than necessary to secure compliance with the j law. (4) An officer should confine himself to a limited, definite objective. Mr. Churchill also laid down one general prohibition, namely, against frightfulji nessi which could not lie admitted in any form. Personally,, ho was of opinion that General Dyer should have been placed compulsorily on the retired list. Mr Asqtuth pointed out that the judgment passed on General Dyer was sup- • ported by the Government of India, confirmed by the British Cabinet, and inI dependency by the Army Council. «• Therefore he contended that General ' . Dyer had had a full and fair hearing.— ■ Eeuter.' GENERAL DOTS DEFENCE "FORCE USED WAS NOT EXCESSIVE." ( : ! London, July 9. 1 A White Paper has been issued giving 1 the defence of General Dyer, 1 General Dyer points out that he, knew 1 the military dangers of the position and of tho cloud in Afghanistan. He also \ realised that the gathering in Jallianwallaghbagh was not fortuitous, lint ..was 1 assembled with the express intent to ! challenge tho authority of the Govern- : nient, and defy him to fire upon them. ' It was, in fact, a rebel army. He was conscious that a great offensive movement was gathering, and to sit still and await its complete mobilisation would ' be fatal.. Ho could not regard the Jul- ! lianwallaghdagh assembly as if it were a political gathering. Ho looked on Amritsar as the storm centre of the rebellion. , He also <knew that attempts were being , made to 6educe his troops, If he had shirked the challenge, there would infallibly have followed a general mob • movement, inside and outside Amritsar. • which would have destroyed the European population and involved in its ruin the law-abiding Indian population, leading to similar results throughout the Punjab. General Dyer contends that his object was right, and tho force used was not excessive, and achieved the desired effect. No less force would have achieved the effect.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. MUTINY OF CONNAUGHT RANGERS DUE TO INCITEMENT FROM IRELAND. Simla, July 11. Details of the mutiny of the Conna'ughf) Bangers at Jullundur _ prove that the action was due to incitement from Ire- % land. When, the demonstration began, large Sinn Fein flags were hoisted at tho barracks, and the men wore Sinn Fein rosettes and other emblems. It is speci-ally-significant that the vast majority of the two hundred men who came out in the last drafts from England refused duty, and intimated that they would not allow themselves to be disarmed by Indian troops, but obeyed an order to place their arms and ammunition under guard. Within the past few days, some of the arrested men have shown regret for their mutinous conduct. The ringleaders of ,the movement are to be tried. The disaffection lias not spread to any other Irish regiment in India,--Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT NEAR, PESHAWAR. Simla, July 11. An unfortunate incident occurred on the North-Western railway, near Peshawar. British military police attempted to ojeot 6ome Indians who were travelling without tickets, and fortv Indians attacked i the police, aud seriously injured a British officer who intervened. Indian troops fired on the mob, killing one and wounding another. The incident caused great excitement in Peshawar, and all the shops were closed.-Aus.-i N.Z. Cable Assn.