OCCASIONAL NOTE

One good result of the recent disturbances promises to be a greater willingness on the part of the authorities to avail themselves of the press, not merely the newspaper press, but that represented by the pamphlet or even the leaflet, for the purpose of correcting the mischievous rumours which from time to time gain such amazing currency in India. Following upon the successful issue by the Bengal Government of a poster elucidating the main features of the Anarchical Crimes Act, the Government of India have published a brief explanation of the measure for the benefit of the sepoy, and are arranging that he shall have ample opportunities of reading it. It will be strange if this expedient does not prove as satisfactory in its effects as that of the Government of Bengal; and when this point has been duly established by experience it may be hoped that these precedents will be followed upon every possible occasion. As has been frequently pointed out during the past few years, the Government of India are in great and increasing danger of becoming isolated from the main streams of Indian thought and activity, owing to the unfortunate location of both their headquarters, and it behoves them to make all the greater effort to counteract this tendency by keeping in touch with the currents of popular opinion by every means, even the simplest and most obvious.

BENGALEES IN ORISSA

The third session of the All Orissa Bengalee Settlers Conference met at Puri today under the presidency of Rai Bahadur Anandalal Bose, retired Civil Surgeon of Cuttack. Kumar Manindra Chandra Sinha, M.B.E., of Paikpara, Chairman of the Reception Committee delivered his speech welcoming the delegates. Rai Bahadur Anandalal Bose in his presidential address dwelt at length on the disabilities under which Bengalees in Orissa labour. Today’s meeting was attended by a large number of delegates from all the districts of Orissa, and visitors to Puri during the Easter Holidays. Among those who were on the platform the most prominent were Sir Rashbehari Ghose, Sir Ashutosh Chaudhuri, The Hon. Rai Bahadur Purnendu Narayan Singh, Rai Bahadur Janaki Nath Bose, Hirendranath Dutta, Mr. J.N. Bose. The Collector of Puri and the Superintendent of Police and other high officials of the place attended the meeting. The conference meets again tomorrow morning.

CHARGE AGAINST RAILWAY CONSTABLES

Suleman Khan and Sheodhyan Upadhyaya, two constables of the Government Railway Police, are on trial on a charge of having wrongfully confined and extorted Rs 150 from six trollymen and a cook of the Sub-Permanent Way Inspector of Jhantipahari. It was alleged that the accused were deputed to Jhantipahari, the former from Kharagpur and the latter from Bankura, to keep watch over the wagons of coal trains passing between Adra and Kharagpur, with a view to put a stop to thefts of coal which have been common at Jhantipahari. It is alleged that one day towards the end of last month the accused found the trollymen and the cook stealing coal from a wagon and took them into custody, but subsequently let them go on receipt of Rs 150 in all from them. The accused have been now released on bail pending trial, which has been fixed for the 4th proximo.

DEMOBILISED MEN’S PATRIOTISM

SIMLA, APR 21

British soldiers in the camps at Bombay, Karachi and Poona, where they are awaiting embarkation to England, including those demobilised from Mesopotamia, amounting to several thousands, have volunteered unconditionally to remain in India for so long as their services may be required. These are in addition to the 4,807 previously notified as volunteering from the camps at Deolali.

THE PUNJAB

Lahore and Amritsar are reported quiet. At Kasur many arrests have been made. At Sangla the agitation was worked up for nearly a month by an agitator known as Brahmacharya, who preached sedition and taught the cry of Hindu Musalman Ki-Jai. Students took a leading part in the riots. They stoned a missionary and attacked a European lady and child in a train. A Kuku Sikh also attacked a European and was shot down. He declared that he had heard stories of damage to the Golden Temple. Arrests have been made on the Lahore-Sangrur line. At Kaithal troops have arrived and all is quiet. False rumours are rife in the Punjab and are leading to considerable excitement. Sir Michael O’Dwyer visited Amritsar today.