Item 2 - Copy of a telegram from Lord Chelmsford to Edwin Montagu

They too have considered the question in Council, though in view of Chelmsford’s [forthcoming] tour the actual text of the message has not yet been approved. Discusses the four alterations to their proposals suggested by Montagu. (1) They do not agree that a general amnesty should precede the inquiry and synchronise with the Indemnity Bill: Local Government has dealt with the question of remissions quickly, and the handling of convictions by summary courts will also be quick, and as regards minor offences will approximate to an amnesty. There is an important difference between this discretional remission by the head of the province and an indiscrimating amnesty, which would be wrongly ascribed in India to pressure brought to bear on Montagu in England. (2, 3) They agree, with some misgiving, to the inclusion in the scope of reference of an investigation into immediate causes and to the inquiry being public, but if a garbled presentation of details in the press leads to ill-feeling and unrest the chairman should be able to hold part of the inquiry in camera. (4) They should prefer a judge as chairman of the committee, and would have welcomed Lord Dunedin if he had been available, but suggest instead Sir Edward Moon or a non-political peer like Lord Inchcape; they could not accept either Sir Lawrence Jenkins or Sir Walter Lawrence, the two men suggested by Montagu. If a suitable chairman is chosen they will ask Gait to serve [on the committee], as it is essential to have a senior administrative officer with experience of conditions in northern India. As regards a military member, they await Montagu’s suggestion. For a high court judge they recommend Rankin. The three Mohammedans suggested by Montagu—Ameer Ali, Baig, and Abdul Rahim—they consider unsuitable and therefore adhere to their recommendation of Rauf. For a Hindu member they prefer Chandravarkar, but will not object to Setalvad. Their only substantial difference from Montagu is on the matter of an immediate amnesty. Urges him to give definite orders as soon as possible.

(Mechanical copy of typed original.)