Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-24
BR|TONS CENSURE
GOVERNOR ACT
English Colonial Office Has Advices
from Swettenham Telling of In
cident, but Refuses to Make
Them Public
BY Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
KINGSTON, Jamaica, Tuesday, Jan.
22.-Two earthquake shocks, the heay-
lest since the destructive ones of Janu-
ary IA, were felt here at 2 o'clock this
afternoon. Several buildings were
thrown down and there was great alarm
among the people. No one was injured.
By Associated Press.
LONDON, Jan. 23.-The colonial office
now has official advices from Sir Alex
ander Swettenham, governor of ia
maica, concerning the exchange of let
ters between himself and Rear Admiral
Davis. The extent of the advices, how
ever, and whether they contain an eX-
PLANTATION, an apology or an eXtenuat-
ing circumstance, have not been dis
closed.
1t appears the imperial authorities
requested the governor of Jamaica to
send a copy of his letter to Rear Adj
miral Davis. This now has been fur
nished and 1t shows that the letter as
sc mt out by the Associated Press was to
all intents and purposes correct copy.
1t is learned that the secretary for
the colonies, Lord Elgin, sent a second
cablegram to Governor SWettenham
asking him to give his version of the
affair. and to this the foreign office in
formed the Associated Press tonight no
answer has yet been received.
John r. Carter, American charge,
called at the foreign office tonight and
received the same explanation of the
situation as was given the Associated
Press.
The fact that Governor Swettenham
wrote the letter to Rear Admiral Davis
having been established, there remains
only to determine the official formali-
ties, and the indications are that the
matter will be handled through the u.s.
ual diplomatic channels and that the
correspondence will be made public in
blue book.
Discussion of the incident shows that
the British view makes clear differ
entiation between Governor Swetten-
hams opposition to the presence of a
foreign force on Jamaican soil and his
manner of expressing this opposition.
"No Excure for Language"
What is condemned is the tone of
the letter to Rear Admiral Davis, the
foreign office having declared that
there was mo excuse for such Ian
guage from an official to an officer of
a friendly nation engaged in a work
of humanity" and the press and pub
lie are adopting a substantially similar
view.
But on the question whether or not
Governor Swettenham was justified in
asking Rear Admiral Davis to with
draw the armed forces from the island,
british opinion inclines that Governor
Swettenham clearly acted within his
rights, although many persons contend
that the abnormal conditions should
have induced the governor to waive
the usual requirements.
The idea prevails that the admiralty,
as the outcome of recent events in
Jamaica, may modify the plans under
which the West Indies were almost
abandoned as naval station. 1t is
suggested that Jamaica might be made
a strong naval station attached to an
effective and well equipped naval base
on the Canadian coast, if the forth
coming colonial conference can devise
some plan for the distribution of the
financial responsibility for naval de-
fense throughout the empire.