LIVED AT QUETTA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 145, 21 June 1935, Page 5

LIVED AT QUETTA.

EARTHQUAKE HORROR HUGE DEATH ROLL LIKELY. BEER FOR THE TROOPS. I A first-hand knowledge of the city of Quetta, capital of British Baluchistan, which was almost totally destroyed by an earthquake on May 31, is possessed by Mr. M. Craig, a Scotsman, who arrived at Auckland from Liverpool by the steamer Pakeha this morning. For several years Mr. Craig was manager of the Murree Brewery Company, situated some miles out from Quetta. A few days after the earthquake it was reported by cable that the casualties for Quetta, Kalat, and the districts within the wide area affected by the earthquake were officially estimated at 50,000, including about 30,000 in Quetta. Mr. Craig this morning expressed the opinion that the death roll was probably very much higher than that indicated by the official figures. "You can usually double the figures given on such occasions," he said. "In the Peshawar riots in 1930 the casualties were given "out as 200, when actually they were 1500." Mr. Craig, who has come to New Zealand under a five years' contract with a brewery bueinees at Hastings, mentioned that he was in Quetta when a minor earthquake was experienced there in 1932. On that occasion the walls of the prison collapsed, but there were no casualties. He left Quetta for England in March last, and if it had not been that the life there was too lonely for his wife, would probably have returned and misht possibly have been a victim of the disaster. Instead he decided to take the position offered to him in New Zealand. Armed Guard at Brewery. The beer brewed at Qiietta, said Mr. Craif, was made from English hops, and was primarily for the consumption of British troops there. The only Indians who drank beer were the "uhtoueh'ables" The Murree brewery was situated away from the city. Until the rebuilding -of - a bridge which had - been

washed away it had been necessary to take a round-about route of 22 miles to reach the brewery from Quetta, or vice versa, but the rebuilding of the bridge had reduced the distance to six miles. Between 60 and 70 natives were employed by the brewery. All lived at the works, which was protected from raids by hostile natives by a barbed wire fence completely surrounding the settlement. An armed guard was always postedj and tho workmen carried rifles when trouble was expected. Mr. Craig mentioned that hie wife—she and her husband were the only whites at the works —also carried a revolver. When roading conditions were bad, camels were used for transporting the beer. Mr. Craig expressed the view that home rule for India was probably centuries away. There were 320 million people in the country, and his estimate of those who were really educated was 200,000. The mentality of the greater part of the native population had been illustrated when natives, as a protest against British control, had thrown

babies under the wheels of armoured cars which were being driven through the streets. He also mentioned on incident a few years ago when a British "Tommy" was captured by natives, saturated with benzine and set on fire. With him from India Mr. Craig has brought a splendid collection of aerial photographs of Quetta and the surrounding country. One of these is reproduced on this page.