COURT-MARTIAL IN KENYA

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27213, 3 December 1953, Page 11

COURT-MARTIAL IN KENYA

Lord Jowitt Asks For Early Statement

(Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON. December 1. In the House of Lords. Lord Jowitt asked for an early statement on the court-martial of Captain Griffiths in Nairobi, w’ho was recently acquitted on a charge of murdering an African. The Earl of Fortescue, the Chief Government Whip, asked him to await the arrival of the records of the trial in Britain. He said the Minisrter would not be in a position to make any detailed statement on the subject until he had an opportunity of examining them. Lord Jowitt said: “This is a very serious matter. There does seem to be some ground for supposing that the instructions of General Sir George Erskine had been disregarded, and that things have been done which are not in any way in accordance with the high standards of the honour of the Army.” Viscount Stangate said the reports which had gone out would have the most disastrous result on the stability of the British Commonwealth. Was it clear, he asked, that the order against blood money was understood by the troops and officers, because reading the reports of the courtmartial, it appeared not to have been understood? He asked what was the rule about what was strangely called “mercy killing,” and about trying to escape. “Is it trying to escape, if you tell men to walk on, and then shoot them in the back? Is it a death offence to be found in a prohibited area because you have been bombed out of a hideout? Is it a capital offence for other natives to go and try and succour wounded?”

Later Earl Fortescue said it was anticipated that the proceedings of the court-martial would arrive on December 7. When pressed to make copies available to newspapers, he did not reply. The Colonial Secretary (Mr Oliver Lyttelton) told the House of Commons today that arrangements had been made for a party of Members of Parliament to visit Kenya in the first week in January. They would stay about two weeks. He said the party would include Messrs Walter Elliot (Conservative), A. G. Bottomley (Labour), C. J. H. Alport (Conservative). James Johnson (Labour), E. B. Wakefield (Conservative), and R. W. Williams (Labour).