1.
GV CROWD
0.06

2.
CU MR. SENANAYAKE ARRIVES
0.08

3.
MV ONLOOKERS
0.10

4.
SCU MR. SENANAYAKE TALKING TO EARL MOUNTBATTEN AND SIR OLIVER GOONETILLEKE
0.16

5.
MV SENANAYAKE
0.17

6.
CU GOV. GEN. GOPALLAWA ARRIVES
0.22

7.
MV CAMERAMEN
0.24

8.
SV PAN. GOPALLAWA INSPECTS TROOPS IN JEEP
0.28

9.
MV ONLOOKERS
0.30

10.
GV PAN. INSPECTION FROM JEEP CONTINUES
0.32

11.
GV CROWD
0.35

12.
SV MILITARY JEEPS PARADE
0.38

13.
CU GOPALLAWA PAN. TO GOONETILLEKE
0.41

14.
SV SALUTE FROM SOLDIER IN PASSING JEEP
0.44

15.
MV TROOPS ON PASSING GUN-CARRIER
0.47

16.
CU MOUNTBATTEN
0.49

17.
SV MOBILE A.A. GUN PASSES
0.53

18.
CU GOONETILLEKE
0.55

19.
SV ANOTHER MOBILE GUN PASSES
0.58

20.
SV TROOPS MARCH
1.04

21.
MV CROWD
1.05

22.
MV ELEPHANT MASCOT PARADED
1.11



Initials TS/V/JF/ES



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: MR DUDLEY SENANAYAKE, THE CEYLONESE PRIME MINISTER SAID IN HIS INDEPENDENCE DAY SPEECH ON SATURDAY THAT WHILE THE GOVERNMENT GAVE PRIORITY TO AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT, THE COUNTRY ALSO HAD TO DEVELOP INDUSTRIALLY. CELEBRATIONS TOOK PLACE IN COLOMBO, THE CAPITAL, WHERE THE HIGHLIGHTS WAS A PARADE OF ARMED SERVICES.

CEYLON ON SATURDAY CELEBRATED HER 19TH YEAR OF INDEPENDENCE. THE PRIME MINISTER, MR SENANAYAKE, SAID IN HIS INDEPENDENCE SPEECH THAT THE COUNTRY'S RICE RATION HAD BEEN HALVED LAST DECEMBER SO THAT MONEY SPENT ON IMPORTING FOOD COULD BE DIVERTED TO MACHINERY FOR INDUSTRY.

OTHER COUNTRIES, HE SAID, HAD BECOME HIGHLY DEVELOPED BECAUSE OF INDUSTRY, AND CEYLON HAD TO LEARN FROM THEM. IT WAS GRATIFYING, HE SAID, TO SEE THE PEOPLE'S RESPONSE TO THE CAMPAIGN TO GROW MORE FOOD.

HE ALSO SAID THAT UNITY AMONG DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES ON THE ISLAND WAS A PRE-REQUISITE FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ECONOMIC FREEDOM. HIS GOVERNMENT HAD THEREFORE BROUGHT ABOUT THIS UNITY AS ITS FIRST STEP.

CEYLON, BECAME AN INDEPENDENT MEMBER OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH ON FEBRUARY THE 4TH, 1948, AND ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS ON SATURDAY INCLUDED SPECIAL RELIGIOUS SERVICES, A MILITARY PARADE, AND A CULTURAL DISPLAY BY STUDENTS.