Kenya Trial
The Kenya court martial of Captain Griffiths on a charge of murdering a Kikuyu forestry guard has ended in his acquittal, but some of the evidence produced in support of the charge shows a profoundly disturbing state of affairs. Company com- manders in the King's African Rifles are said to offer their askari blood money for every member of the Mau Mau killed, scores are kept in every unit, and there is keen rivalry between the competing teams as to the number of " kills " made. These methods would be distasteful at any time. In a campaign like the one in Kenya, conducted against criminal gangs living among and indistinguishable from the mass of the population. they are especially wrong and harmful. The Secretary for War has promised a full investigation into these allegations which have shocked members of all parties in this country as well as moderate opinion in Kenya itself. If they are found to be true, the most drastic, steps should be taken to stamp out trigger- happy behaviour among the security forces. Fortunately, General Erskine has shown himself well aware of the import- ance of pacifying the loyal Kikuyu, and he may be relied on not to tolerate anything savouring of indiscriminate reprisals on Africans. The war in Kenya, like the war in Malaya, will only be won by gaining the active support of the local population. Both are political as well as military operations, and should be treated as such. General Templer has shown that it can be done.
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