West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Thursday 2 April 1953, page 4


MALAYA WILL OPPOSE

"TEMPLER FOR KENYA" CALL SINGAPORE, Wednesday.--Members of all communities in Malaya are likely to oppose the suggested transfer of General Sir Gerald Templer from Malaya to Kenya. Mr. Reginald Paget, a Labour member, urged this transfer in a debate on the Mau Mau menace in the House of Commons last night.

Opinion was unanimous in Malaya today that General Templer would do a first-class job in combating the Mau Mau and establishing strong government in Kenya. But it was equally felt that conditions in Malaya had not yet improved sufficiently for such a transfer to be made. Sir Cheng-lock Tan, president of the powerful Malayan Chinese Association, said: "It would be most unfortunate if there shouldbe a break in the continuity of General Templer's administration at this time." Sir Cheng-lock said that General Templer had been successful not only on the military side but also on the political one, and had won the confidence of all communities. * "Let him finish his job," the Chinese leader added. Too Early A leading British planter in Selangor said that it was too early to move General Templer yet. "Despite optimistic reports, we have not yet reached the end of the emergency," he said. "We still want Templer's drive." A Government official pointed out that the total of 71 terrorists killed in March was the highest of any month this year. The March total of 103 terrorists eliminated through killing, capture or surrender was only slightly below the monthly average last year. M.P. Alleges "Failure" LONDON, Wed.-A Labour member, Mr. Reginald Paget, in the House of Commons last night urged that General Templer should be recalled from his anti-terrorist campaign in Malaya and given complete power to restore order in Kenya. Mr. Paget declared that the Kenya Government had failed and should be removed immediately. Mr. Paget was opening the emergency debate on the Mau Mau massacre of March 26. Mr. James Griffiths, Colonial Secretary in the former Labour Government, said that there seemed to be every danger of the stage of civil war being rapidly reached in Kenya. Mr. Patrick Gordon-Walker, former Labour Minister for Commonwealth Relations, said: "If we do not seize the opporunity to improve the position, the Mau Mau could spread right across East and Central Africa." Aims Stated The Colonial Secretary (Mr. Lyttelton), replying to the debate, denied that he was out of sympathy with all progressive movements in Kenya. "What we want," he said, "is to assist all races to raise the economic conditions of the country, including wages, and to see all races cooperating in a country where they can all live together. "Nothing is more fantastic than to call the Mau Mau a national resistance movement." Mr. Lyttelton said that no suggestions had been made in the debate which impinged on the immediate problem of how to protect the loyal Kikuyu, build up racial cooperation, and suppress the terrorist Mau Mau organisation. The reinforcements now going to Kenya would not only enable two further battalions to be used in offensive operations, but also defensively to try to protect Kikuyu loyalists. The Mau Mau movement was becoming more violent because it was becoming compressed into a smaller area, but the Man Mau had not wrested the initiative from the Government. Mr. Paget's motion that the House adjourn was negatived without a vote.-Reuters and A.A.P.