THE DAILY PROVINCE
JUNE 17, 1914

HOW TO GET RID OF HINDUS IS A
PUZZLE

p.1

------------------Owners Order Ship Home, but There Will Have to
Be Help Aboard.

------------------Hindus Promise Trouble If Any Effort Is Made to
Haul Up the Anchor.

------------Japanese Warships May Be Asked to Lend Armed
Guard for Trip.

------------------Proposal to Change Berth of Komagata Maru Has
Been Dropped.

------------------The climax of the fight by the Hindus who came on the Komagata Maru
to enter Canada is promised for Friday. It may be delayed a day or two after
that, but that was the date set for the departure of the vessel when Mr. C.
Gardner Johnson, agent for the vessel, went aboard Tuesday afternoon and
conferred with Gurdit Singh. He found that Oriental leader in very bad spirits.
The Komagata Maru is seething with an insurrection, for the Hindus are not
only full of fight against the immigration officials, but they are making Gurdit
Singh’s life on grand procession of trouble.
Early Tuesday the first serious outbreak occurred when Captain
Yamamoto sought to comply with an order of the harbor master to move

THE DAILY PROVINCE
JUNE 17, 1914

p.1

eastward to a point off the Heatley avenue wharf. The port officials wished to
give the berth now occupied by the Komagata Maru to the two Japanese
warships which are expected here at the end of the week. The ship could not
move without steam and the Hindus would not allow the Japanese stokers to
get into action to get steam up. The Hindus feared that the ship would be sent
away on her return journey to Japan.
Against the crew of thirty the Hinds easily won the day. Captain
Yamamoto came ashore very much upset by the episode and spent the noon
hour conferring with Major Johnson.
In the afternoon the latter went aboard and found things in great
turmoil. It was proposed that tugs be allowed to two the vessel to her new
mooring place, but the Hinds declared through their interpreters that they
would allow no one to move their vessel, acting form inside or out. They
insisted that they would fight before being moved and interspersed their
statements with a good deal of criticism of Gurdit Singh and the Hindu
physician aboard the ship, whom they do not regard in a friendly manner.
When Mr. Johnson’s party came ashore it was decided that it was hardly
worth while forcing an issue that might result in a fight and the Hindu ship
will be left where she is. Other berths will accordingly be found for the
Japanese war vessels.

How to force the departure of the Hindus is a question that is causing
tremendous worry to the officials, as well as to Captain Yamamoto. The latter
is awaiting the arrival of the Japanese cruisers, in the hope that on Friday
night or Saturday they will lend him a hundred armed men to keep the Hindus
in subjection while going across the Pacific, but some unpleasant international
complications may attend a move of this kind. There is said to be reason to
fear that, rather than leave, the Hindus will set fire to the ship and leap
overboard, to be rescued by their shore compatriots, who are quite often
cruising in launches in the vicinity of the Komagata Maru.
It is now proposed to provision this ship immediately for the return trip.
The owners have sent several peremptory cables that the vessel must go.

THE DAILY PROVINCE
JUNE 17, 1914

p.1

Undoubtedly Ottawa is urging the same course, but how to start her in the
face of the determined opposition on board is a question. The little vessel is
terribly overcrowded as it is. To guard the party day and night would take a
hundred men, and there is no possible chance of putting half that number of
white guards aboard. The Japanese marines might possibly handle the
situation. To place them aboard, or indeed to put white guards aboard, may
mean trouble. A fight between Hindus and Japanese in a Canadian port might
cause some diplomatic difficulties.

In the meantime, not much progress is being made with the official
inquiry before the immigration officials. The men examined have all declared
that they have money, but they can not(Sic) produce any. They have receipts
for varying amounts form
Gurdit Singh, but the Hindu leader can not(Sic) or will not turn these into cash.
One or two new cases were partially dealt with this morning.
AT 2 o’clock this afternoon Mr. C. Gardner Johnson, agent for the
Komagata Maru, announced that there would be no developments until a
reply was received from Japan to the two cables sent yesterday. Mr. Johnson
and Sir Charles Hibbert Tupper, who is representing the owners, were in
conference during the luncheon hour.