WILL OPEN FIRE.

Mataura Ensign, 22 July 1914, Page 5

WILL OPEN FIRE.

ON THE EXCLUDED HINDUS

IF THEY DO NOT SUBMIT,

BY ILKOTBia TELEGRAPH OOFTBIGHT,

PEIt UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION. Received July 22. !) a.m. VANCOUVER, July 21. In regard to the 500 Hindus on the Japanese steamer Komagata Mam, win, are making,a vigorous effort to enter Canada, and who declare that they will fight to a finish, the Canadian cruiser Rainbow has arrived. Her commander conferred with the naval, military and civil authorities, and a. plan was arranged to turn a. steam hose on. the Hindus if they still refused, to submit by 2 p.m. If the hose is insufficient the militia and blueiackets will onen j fire at close range and board the vessel! iron;, the. warship in three parties. The .Hindus so far have refused to consider any proposition.

REPLY TO ULTIMATUM

Received July 22, 12.! op m VANCOUVER, July 21. I lie Hindus renlied to the, ultimatum by repeating their demands for provisions and their passage money back to India. A committee consisting of nine local Hindus went out to the Kom;\<>afa ."Uaru to try and cfl'erl. a conciliation, hut the Hindus aboard refused, reiterating their demands for provisions and cash.

JlVjvar.shin Rainbow and tlie militia 'win'

AN OF'rEF? REFUSED

VANC'OUViCIi, duly 21. Mr Stevens, a Federal m:mber, announced at a public meeting that |„, possessed proof of attempts bavin-: been, planned against do lives of the eapta.lii of the KoniMgata'Maru, the immigration officials, and others whom he is unable to specify, and that tin.', movement, was evidently ,a. soditionist movement and spreadi-ng. (.'u.rdit Singh, leader of the Komngata Maru Hindus, heystarcd, offered for a. bribe to l>iii,jr all the passengers home again, but the i mini era b'mt officers refused' k> consider the offer.

A i!!'nvo Imperial issue has been raised by the arrival oil' Hritish Columbia of the steamship Komagata Mar;, with. (lilt) Indian immigrants in charge of (iurdrt Singh, the wealthy Calcutta merchant. Their entry is'prohibited under an Orclcr-iii-CcuiX-il. nased last April .'stated 'The Daily Mail' lately). The Indians -claim that ■■.'ubieets of British India should have the liirht of entry to all parts of his ' Majesty's dominions.

Their reining has given, rise to comment at Victoria <\>,.V.) on the "im-■prac-""'bi.V,rv" of a truly Imperial Parliament, it ,s jointed out tit-it if such a 'Parliament were es'jj.blished in London it would favor the unrcsTricted admission of Hindus in all part's ,'-.. tlm Kmpiro. It is said that imiiii<rraiVn. would be the first subject to be discussed in an Imperial Parliament, and ill this respect the doniinions wauld iv-ver agree to surrender the power they-now enjoy. Wir Richard Mcßride, I'remier of Pritish Coluiiibia. said: "The incident of tie arrival of the Komagaiu- Maru a-centuates the iiupertaneo of the position taken up by British Cduni'bia in the effort to prevent the Hooding of Canada by Asiatics. We dei-ira to strengthen the hands of the Do nininn flovernment by opposing the possible further influx 'of 'Orientals, whose admission in large numbers would mean the final extiiution of the, white, nooplcG. _ In ti-is view tliere i,s abs-hite unanimity of .opinion amo'ig the bestinformed students of the ■ situation here."

The Hindus -sire n picturesque band in their colored garb. A number arc wotiriiit; riding breeches and helmets, indicating that they were formerly members of Sikh eavalrv regiments'; others- are clothed in khaki uniform'and include? students, merchants and coolies. Their leader. (.Innlk'Singh, is determined' to carry 13vo fight for 'entry to the last tribunals.

Two women' are 01 hoard, one bping th-e wife of Clurdit Sintili.

The ship is not allowed to procerl to the wharf, and is being watched hv the Government launches. Xone hut' ofiirials are allowed on board. The Indian:; oat ji.ll their meals on deck, and are the object of the curiosity el' thousand? of people whi) throng the wharves. Hundreds of Vancouver Hindus attempted tr> roach the. ship hi hoais but we're turned back.