Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1920-08-08
GENERAL TELLS OF
GREAT MASSACRE
Butcher of Amritsar Defends
Action of Troops in
India.
KILLS 400 IN 10 MINUTES
Declares Town Was Focus
Point Of Rebellion and Harsh
Measures Necessary.
KILLS 400 IN 10 MINUTES
ny uniycrsal Service |


General H. L. H. Dyer. who ordered
Inc massacre AT Amriisar which re-
s snd IN me siagins 81 100 indians ms
within ten minutes. has issued his
deiense for Derpetrat!ng what Colonel
Wcdgwood in the House OF Commons
described as the greatest blot on.
British history since the burning OF
Joan of Are"
or White Paper. The main points
OF the defense are:
Amritsar was the focus point OF
rebellion which aimed at setting In
dia ablazc.
No unnecessarily harsh measures
were used.
The measures taken were actually
approved by the higher authorities
the seal OF approval being sc, on the
brigadier- generals action by subse-
qucnt promotion.
No warning was given OF the
charges to be made against him by
pointed by The government to Inquire
!ntO events In the Punjab
MY treatment for nearly year
REQUIRES consideration" says Dyer
had reported those events at once
Not only was | in no way criticized
for my handling of the crisis. but
received immediate official approval
] was likewise in no way suspended
from my duties. pending inquiry. the
an officer. whose conduct is TO he the
subject OF censurc or penalty. on tho
contrary. was promoted. and also
given Il command on active service in
the field
The principle Is laid down by tho
Secretary Of state tina, AN officer in
supprcss!ng civil disturbances must
use minimum amount OF force neccs-
Sary for the purpose. say
with all sincerity that ] acted upon
this principle when firing upon the
assembly ut Amritsar on April -,
1919. and according To the hes; OF my
judgment | used no more force than
40
General Gives DetniIs.
General Dyer then enters into de-
tai! with regard TO the events wtsch
led up TO Amri,sar disturbances. and
says he was confronted not With
riot. but with open rebellion. He
tells how after the issue OF his proc
nR IN ae isa, any ct TSSS %"sS S dis
Ipersed. by force OF arms. that ne
learned that counter proclamation
!. had been issued. stating that Ms &c
tlon was mere pre,ense. and that nc
dared not ire, and that n meeting
would be held IN the JalIianwnl.ah
Referring next TO the meeting In
me the, Jailianw .a Bach; G%Shhe;r e h
coo: General Dyer says:
The position was itself an anxious
one one. from purely military point Of
from behind. and the extrication o;
my small force from the city would
have been. practically impossible &,
tained an aggressive spirit.
hesitation I fcl; would be danger
Gus and futile and as soon as my
nifty rif!cmen had dcn!oyed. | ordered
fire TO he opened. The crowd began
TO scatter 10 the various exits. .tt'cs
some firing, TWO groups appeared to
he collecting as though to rush us
and on my hrigadier- major calling
my attention to this. directed are,
ton. and dispersed the groups.
when 1880 rounds or Whereabouts
had been fired. and roughly. ten min
the whole crowd had dispersed, aud
] was able TO lead the body OF troops
back In security. having as !; ,urnei
Amritsar and the neighhorhool for
every one. The spirit OF the organized
mobs was effectively broken. AMI the
unrest in the countryside stoppcd"
General Dyer adds that he report ii
his action to divisional headru,r-
terS next day. and received from the
DIVISIONAL commander by airplane
the message:
Your action correct, and Licuten-
ant-Gorernor approves"
Governor Approves.
Dyer continues:
The following may be taken as a
Iair summary Of the motives and
grounds OF my action:
ta) had before me the general
situation 81 ,hn summarized in the dispatch
OF inc secretary OF State and all its
dition. l knew of the cloud from Al
Ehanistan. which broke three weeks
tb) had before me in the ualI,an..
wallah Blgh not fortuitous gather
Ing, LIE, winch winch. at worst. had assembled
t tu6sf tn or even recklessiy con-
that was there with express Intent
a no d hat,ienge government authority.
ton against it. and in particular TO
defy me to fire upon it.
TED knew that il was I'm sub-
hat L.,
IN course arse of Of examination for some
and authority which for two DAYS had
ruled the city, in defiance Of the gov
srmH IN front had in fact. the rebel
s sight Gonid 1n 60. that If shrked its
Fasn K aH %o ala 9 have then snd heTs
a ne a derson Of Of IFS
there would infallibiy follow "n n e reat
eral mob movement both from inside
anu anu OUTSIDE OUTSIDE Amritsar. which would
ulation. including women and children
and an al, all my my troops and involved in
ias rum the ,hw-aDiding Indian popu-
(s) ! knew that this result would
o 1ead n, 20 similar result IN numer-
G) ! knew that ineffec,ive action
against the mob would grayelv ON"
uaHScT my small fOrcc on the actual
spot. and make its safe withdrawal
difhcult, and that it's destruction
would infallibly produce the results
Indicated in tho last two para
graphs.
tg) knew that on the four occa-
sions when firing took place on the
10th in Amritsar its effects on pre.
venting disorder and restoring Sc
curity had been quite ineffective. and
that. with the small body OF troops
at my disposal and sembly before me
could produce no sufficient effect
except by continuous firing.
looked at the realities Of the case
AS whole, as n soldier was hound
10 do: II any dominant motive can
DO extracted 1t was the determination
70 avert from the European women
ana children and those OF the law
abiding Indian community the fate
which was convinced would be theirs
n i did not meet tho challenge and
produce the required effect to restore