Pol Ext 8078/49 'Visit of Royal Indian Navy ships to East African ports, Seychelles, Mauritius and Aden' [‎29r] (58/111)

COPY.
No.SF.58/38.
OFFICE OF IKE PROVINCIAL COMMISSIONER
Mombasa.
28th June, 1949.
SECRET AND PERSONAL.
Dear Le Mesurier,
VISIT OF R .I .N.SQUADRON .
Ref.Your No.S/U.CER.24/1 A/48 of 20th June.
I have not answered your letter before as I have
been putting out feelers since the visit. Personally I
think the visit went very well and so far I have heard no
criticisms. There were some amongst the European community
who were not keen on the visit but they unostentatiously
kept out of the way so there were no uncomfortable incidents.
2. We found the officers pleasant and intelligent,some
of them were slightly pleased with themselves but that is
understandable. To us they were fairly outspoken in their
opinions of their compatriots here and made it very plain
that they preferred personal contacts with Europeans to
parties given by the Indians. This was slightly embarrassing
at times but only in conversation. At the big reception at
Government House on the first night it was noticeable that
they spent their time getting drinks and talking to the
Europeans - especially the women - and it was rather
difficult to get them to mix with the Indians. They were
keen to dance in a private house but this was not possible
as the programme was so full. This was I think fortunate
as it might have caused embarrassment but I understand they
had several such parties in Dar-es-salaam, though all but
one were I think given by the Karimjee family,
5. Several people including H.H.Robinson, R.S.Campbell
and ourselves had them to private meals and found them very
pleasant if somewhat ebullient. I have heard of no awkward
incidents nor had Commodore Brown who lunched with us alone
a few hours before they sailed. We discussed the visit
very frankly and he had no criticisms. Both he and his
officers got very bored with the endless Indian parties
most of which they consider quite frightful. They normally
invited officers and about 100 ratings and served warm doft
drinks of horrid unknown varieties and very hot or very
sweet Indian snacks. So far as I have been able to discover
they received very little private hospitality from the
Mombasa Indians. Commodore Brown remarked that the local
Clubs had acted wisely in ignoring the visit by not
offering hospitality and had not made the error of offering
hospitality to himself and the European Officers which he
would have had to refuse.
As regards the specific points you mention
(1) Commodore Brown made an almost identical speech at
a large lunch given by Pant here. Both it and the
Dar-es-salaam speech were reported inaccurately in
the local Indian Press and distorted to suit themselves.
This distressed him very much and he wanted to write
and correct.it. I advised him not to as they would
certainly have made further comment and distortions
and probably made matters worse. I have had no adverse
comment on the speeches and personally I thought the
speech here rather good. Two points he emphasised which
are not sufficiently brought out in the reports: that
all
• kiL..