THE DAILY PROVINCE MAY 23, 1914 HINDU VESSEL IN PORT p.1&4 ------------------- The upper picture shows the Komagata Maru as she arrived at William head yesterday morning. The lower one shows a launch party of Hindus going out to meet their compatriots. This launch was warned back by the immigration officials. ------------------- JAP LEAPED FROM KOMAGATA MARU LAST NIGHT ------------------- Not Known on Board Hindu Shop Whether or Not He Drowned. ------------------- Vessel Anchored on North Vancouver Side of Harbor When She Arrived. ------------------- Officials and Agent of Consignees Paid Early Visit on Board Boat. ------------------- Gurdit Singh, the Leader, Was Just Then Busy at His Prayers. ------------------- Not one of the 376 Hindus on board of the Komagata Maru with the possible exception of the twenty-two men returning to this country after a visit to India can comply with the immigration requirements, and it is THE DAILY PROVINCE MAY 23, 1914 p.1&4 understood that landing will be refused to them, it was authoritatively declared today. Admittance can be refused to the Hindus under the provisions of the order-in-council providing that all Hindus must come direct from their native land to Canada. The boat, it was discovered by the immigration authorities, was chartered in Hongkong. The chief bar to the admittance of the Hindus, however, is the fact that they are without the necessary money qualifications. Not one, it is stated has the sum of $200 with him with the exception of possibly Gurdit Singh, or even has more than $100. Most of them have one or two dollars with them, but claim that they can secure funds from India. Gurdit Singh told the authorities this morning that he would personally be responsible for the whole of the immigrants, but that he would have to get to shore and secure through the banks money from India. He said that he could get $10,000. This would not be enough. The Hindus claim that they do not come within the restrictions against laborers and artisans. They claim thas(Sic) it is their intention to go on farms. While they have no money, they claim that they can get it from their native land. That a number of the Hindus on the Komagata Maru, and those residing at Vancouver have seen military service was fully established when the Vancouver Hindus established semaphore communication with the steamer soon after she moved to the Vancouver side of the harbor and dropped anchors off No. 2 berth at 11 a.m. today. The shore Hindus massed on the waterfront, and one of their expert signallers made the letter “J.,” which is the alphabetical call in semaphore signalling. He tried this for some time and then his signals were seen from the steamers, and a Hindu on board mounted(?) to the rail and gave the answering call. Then the wig-wagging started, and a number of messages were semaphored to and from the vessel until the C.P.R. police broke up the party on shore. THE DAILY PROVINCE MAY 23, 1914 p.1&4 Incidentally a number of the immigration staff, who is a…(illegible word), logged all the messages which were translated subsequently, but Superintendent Reid refuses to make them public. A rigid patrol is being maintained around the steamer. No one is allowed to go aboard, and the only people to come ashore were the captain, engineer and steward. As Sunday and Monday are legal holidays no action can be taken in the courts by the Hindus before Tuesday. ------------------- The Japanese steamer Komagata Maru, Captain Yamamoto, with 376 Hindus on board, steamed into Burrard inlet at 5 a.m. today and dropped anchor off North Vancouver, where she remained until 1 a.m., when Pilot B. L. Johnson moved her nearer the city side. The decks of the ancient craft were seething with Hindus, all dressed up in their best clothes and with their baggage packed ready to go ashore. For they are fully convinced that they will be allowed to land and are apparently conversant with Chief Justice Hunter’s decision of a few months ago, which made it possible at the time for Hindus to enter the country. The last 24 hours have been full of incident. Last night at 9 o’clock one of the Japanese sailors dived overboard. The ship was then off Turn Point, and it is thought the man had an idea that he could swim to the beach. However, there was a strong current, and Captain Yamamoto believes the man was drowned. At 8 a.m. today Superintendent of Immigration Malcolm R. J. Reid and several of his staff, Mr. C. Gardner Johnson and Mr. Walton, and some customs officers went out to the vessel. As the launch neared the Komagata Maru it was seen that the rail was lined with turbans. Captain Yamamoto informed The JAP LEAPED FROM KOMOGATA MARU LAST NIGHT (Continued From Page 1.) THE DAILY PROVINCE MAY 23, 1914 p.1&4 Province that the vessel called at Hongkong, Shanghai, Moji and Yokohama. She coaled at Moji where Captain Yamamoto joined her. Her last port was Yokohama and she crossed the Pacific in 19, 1-2 days, experiencing fine weather with the exception of two days fog. The Hindus are taking them as a body, a particularly fine looking lot of men. A number of them speak English fluently and were very anxious to learn from The Province how the legislation stood which affected them. They readily posed for pictures, forming long lines on the deck. Gurdit Singh, the leader, however, was not visible and The Province was informed that he was at his prayers. Fine Looking Lot of Men. The men were firm in the view that they could not be kept out. When informed of the new interpretation of the Order-in-Council, which will keep out everybody in certain classes until September 30, they expressed the view that it could not be made to apply to them as they left Hongkong on March 4. Further, they told The Province that they understood the Duke of Connaught had taken action on their behalf. Their source of information they would not divulge. They all seemed in good health and were certainly clean, well set up, and handsome men. Some of the old men, in particular, were magnificent specimens of humanity. One old patriarch told The Province that they were all gentlemen. They seemed to get on very well with the Japanese crew, going on the principle of keeping to themselves, but it would be interesting to learn the trend of the talk which must have taken place between the leaders and the Japanese officers. Did the Japanese inspire the Hindus with the idea of an Asiatic conquest? THE DAILY PROVINCE MAY 23, 1914 p.1&4 Captain Yamamoto is making his first visit to the Pacific and prefers to say little. He is a cheery shipmaster, and has his vessel in good shape considering the congestion ensuing on 376 passengers. Watch Vessel Carefully. Superintendent Reid came ashore at 10 a.m., bringing with him Mr. Gardner Johnson, Mr. Walton, the officers who had been on watch all night and Captain Yamaroto(Sic), the chief engineer and the chief steward. As the launch was ready to cast off a Hindu asked permission to send some of the men ashore to get supplies, but Mr. Reid informed him that the Japanese steward was going ashore for that purpose. The immigration people maintained a strict watch for the vessel and when she arrived the officers boarded her. At William Head the immigration launch patrolled all night and had some false alarms. The Hindus began to throw over old blankets, matresses(Sic) and turbans and occasionally the watchers would see a turban bobbing in the water and think it was one of the passengers swimming ashore. So far, all the passengers have been accounted for, but interesting developments are expected later in the day, when they realize that they will not be allowed to land. When the steamer hove up anchor and moved over to the Vancouver side this morning they took it as an indication that she was going to dock, and that they would be allowed to land. When she dropped her mudhook(Sic) again they were very disappointed. Vancouver Hindus are beginning to gather along the waterfront, but the C. P. R. police are keeping them on the move. ------------------London, May 23.—“East and West” is the subject of the first special article in the Times today, wherein it is pointed out that the arrival of the Komagata Maru bring to a head a crisis which has been slowly approaching for along(Sic) while. The Times says that behind the imperial aspects of the case THE DAILY PROVINCE MAY 23, 1914 p.1&4 lies the wider question of mixing East and West, and adds that the problem recently assumed acute proportions in South Africa.