Evening star., 1946-02-25
Bombay Again Calm
As Navy Mutineers
Return 10 Duties
BY the Assoeicfed Press

BY the Assoeiofed Press
BOMBAY. Feb. 25.-Royal In
dian sailors who participated ir
a mutiny last week have re-
turned to duty, a British COM
munique said today, and condi-
tions in Bombay are practically
normal"
Strikes have ended at shore in
stallations, dockyards and all but
one of the city's 66 cotton mills, the
communique said, although Royal
Indian Air Force personnel here
still refuse to work.
A police statement said that road
barricades had been removed by re.
cruiting residents of the area as Ia
borers, and that only a few minor
incidents had been reported.
Royal Navy ships, including the
light cruiser Glasgow, formed dou-
BILE semicircle inside the harbor, and
large force Of naval personnel In
white shorts and blouses came
ashore for unannounced assign.
ments.
Precautions Taken.
Meanwhile, reinforced British
Tommies took precautions to make
certain that scheduled demon
stration by students would not
cause a new outbreak of violence
No student disorders had been re-
ported by this afternoon, however
and leaders of the Congress party
and the Bombay Student Congress
urged that the demonstrations be
cancelled. Some students insisted
nevertheless, that they would pro-
test the use of British military
forces against the mutineers.
At the largest hospital here. medi.
cal students took care of their regu.
lar ward duties, but stood in door.
ways during their off hours to pro.
test against the establishment of 8
post of British troops on the hospita
grounds.
A British Army communique to.
night said latest figures on civilian
casualties admitted to hospitals
since the beginning of the disturb.
ances totaled 22S killed and Loaf
injured.
Other sources said the toll was
much greater, however, and might
never be known. Many of the dead
already had been cremated on burn
ing CHATS, the funeral pyres which
daily receive the city's dead.
While Jawaharlal Nehru, Congress
Party leader, arrived to investigate
the causes of the rioting, the army
announced that five courts of in
quiry had been ordered. The null
tiple courts will inquire into separate
incidents. Four are to begin their
investigations at once.
The army communique said Bonn
bay was completely quiet"
Banks Looted.
The city's hospitals listed scores
of dead and wounded simply as "un-
known"
The British communique said that
nine banks, 30 shops, % government
grain and cloth shops, 10 post Offices
and 10 police outposts had beer
looted since the start OF the dis
turbances.
Meanwhile, police said that Bom-
bay had experienced its first quiet
night since last Monday, when the
first group of Indian sailors went
on strike because of alleged dis
elimination against them by the
British. a@ s
Suspects Seized.
Law officers spent most of the
night in a quiet, systematic rounc
up of persons suspected of being
involved in the rioting. The mum.
ber arrested was not disclosed.
Military and naval inquiries were
launched under orders from Vice
Admiral J. H. Godfrey, commander
of the Royal Indian Navy, into
grievances of the mutineers.
Admiral Godfrey, returning to hi.
flagship the Narbada - told the
mutjneers that he expected them
to return to work. The striking
sailors, who had held 20 small ships
in Bombay harbor, hoisted uncon-
ditional surrender flags Saturday.
Naval and military spokesmen
privately paid tribute to Gen. Sir
Claude Auchinleck, British COM
mand9f -in-c chief in India, for avert
ing additional violence and pos
sibly revolution.
Gen. Auchinleck has stated there
would be no vindictive, mass punish.
merS for the disorders, but tha
ringleaders would be tried and pun
tshed if guilty.
Cruisers arrival Delayed.
The spokesman said that arriva
Of the light cruiser Glasgow, which
anchored here yesterday, and othel
British ships was purposely delay.
ed until the mutineers surrendered
TT was feared that the sudder
appearance of British ships nigh
have had unfortunate results" ont
informant said.
Just how serious the British con
sidered the situation was seen IL
the fact that a regiment of fell
artillery was ordered here, in addi.
tion to regiments of infantry ant
motorized troops.
Many observers had expressed tn
fear that the mutiny, coupled witt
strikes of Indian air force personne
and the civilian rioting, might fam
into open revolution Congress
Party leaders, however, deplored tn
campaign of violence and called TO
peace. Both the Indian army an,
the civilian police force remaine'
loyal.
British troops by the thousand
still patrolled the streets today
mostly in armored cars and truck
covered with crash netting to pro
tect Tommies from rocks whicl
might be thrown from rooftops.
Heavy police details, weary fror
week of fighting, stood by for an
emergency.
The streets were Uttered witt
broken glass, stones, and the skele
tons of perhaps SO trucks and moto
cars which had been burned. Build
ings were bullet-pocked and fire
SCARED. Gas lights gushed fam
where mobs had smashed the shade