Sir John Kotelawala (1897- 1980): How he grew in DS’s shadow and became an effective leader

(Excerpted from Selected Journalism by HAJ Hulugalle)

Twenty-five years ago, I was unexpectedly called to the editorial chair of the “Ceylon Daily News”, to succeed a brilliant journalist whose pen today is as lively an instrument as ever. From that position of advantage I was able, for nearly 18 years, to watch the evolution of what was at first a Crown Colony into an independent nation.

And now, from this ancient city of Rome, which has given to the world a noble heritage of spirit and mind, I can look back over a quarter of a century of immeasurable change in Ceylon and think of the many remarkable men who achieved her freedom. It was in those same years that a dashing, care-free and athletic cadet of the landed gentry grew in political stature to become the resolute statesman, known and respected throughout the world. His fame was not attained by sudden flight and few of his early boon companions, their “hours filled with riots, banquets, sports”, would have prophesied the flowering of a career which by any standards must be deemed exceptional. And yet, history records such transformations. Shakespeare said of Henry V:

“The strawberry grows underneath the nettle,

And wholesome berries thrive and ripen best, Neighbour’d by fruit of baser quality.

And so the Prince obscured his contemplation, Under the veil of wildness; which, no doubt,

Grew like the summer grass, fastest by night, Unseen, yet crescive in his faculty.”

As a youthful journalist I trailed Mr. D. R. Wijewardene, as great a patriot as he was a publicist, into the inner councils of the pioneers of the reform movement where it was an unforgettable experience to observe the methods and manners of men like Ponnambalam Arunachalam, James Pieris, E. J. Samerawickreme, D. B. Jayatilaka, H. J. C. Pereira, F. R. Senanayake, W. A. de Silva, E. W. Perera and others of the same vintage.

Stephen Senanayake was among them, but somewhat overawed by that galaxy of legal talent. His day came later and he was indeed the boldest and doughtiest warrior of them all. Even before Ceylon obtained partial self-government under the Donoughmore Constitution, “D.S.” was the driving force in the Legislative Council which was then led by the gentle and amiable Sir Arthur Fletcher. By a combination of shrewdness in the Finance Committee, which sat in secret, and buccaneering conduct in the Council itself, he dominated the scene though he held no office and was only Member for Negombo.

And in those years young John Lionel Kotelawala was his protege and became increasingly his handyman. He possessed in abundance some of the qualities which the older man lacked. He had sophistication. He had been to Cambridge, he had danced and dined at the best clubs, he spoke French fluently, his character was moulded in the hard school of adversity and, above all he had youthful zest and, what is now called, brashness. What is not less important perhaps is that the younger man had an unsuspected capacity for taking thought of the mundane things so necessary for success, such as physical fitness and financial stability.

When that great lawyer, Sir John Simon, was once asked what were the ingredients of success in his profession, he replied readily that they were, firstly, a sound digestion and, secondly, a good clerk. There is no doubt that a double dose of energy, usually the result of a good digestion, is necessary in any outstanding leader, though of course it is not the only requisite.

From the time “J.L.K.” entered the State Council he wielded an increasing influence on the life and work of Mr. D.S. Senanayake. When “D.S.” left for England he arranged for Lionel to be in charge of his portfolio as Minister of Agriculture. He could not trust anyone else with the blue-prints of his great colonisation schemes and it fell to the acting Minister to cut the first sod in the new colony. The partnership continued until the death of the Father of the Nation.

“D.S.” was a great originator but scarcely a great organizer. He knew next to nothing of the logistics of a political campaign. He organized an election as the old kings organized the building of a tank or the dedication of a shrine. He was sustained, and sometimes compromised, by his local chiefs and retainers. Lionel Kotelawala had the good sense to become a soldier as a young man.

In the mess room he cultivated good human relations, in the barrack square he learned the value of precision and, on manoeuvres, he studied the strategy and tactics of a campaign. These assets he carried into politics and he became the invaluable and indispensable chief of staff.

My first official contact with the Prime Minister was when, as the new Government Information Officer, I was invited to attend a Press Conference in his office in the Public Works Department building. When I arrived I found that business had started some considerable time before, and I felt like the man in a Bateman cartoon who came to dinner wearing brown boots with his dress clothes.

Everyone in the room stared at me with looks of disapproval. They seemed to say that the “Boss” did not like unpunctuality and it was not good form to come late to his Press Conferences. I was let down by my watch or by a bad memory – I do not remember which – and I had even thought I would be too early for the appointment. But of course excuses were useless; one was in time or one was not; and it was not only bad manners but inefficiency to keep waiting a man who values his time. That was how I felt about it.

This love of discipline and order is surely of inestimable value in guiding the affairs of a people who are by nature easy-going and lackadaisical. But it is not a discipline untempered with human feeling. A mother’s tenderness must always leave its mark. The “P.M.” can judge himself as rigorously as he would others. He will say blunt and even embarrassing things but never from a sense of superiority or with the intention to wound. And one of his charming qualities is that of turning a joke against himself.

It is seldom that a strong trunk grows under a giant oak and it speaks much for the sturdy personality of John Lionel Kotelawala that he rose to his full stature under the shadow of so great a man as our first Prime Minister. The secret lies perhaps in the fact that in their characters there were as many points of difference as there were of similarity. In courage, energy, geniality, knowledge of men and love of country, they were alike. But the resilience which comes of a boyish spirit and the zest for enjoying life, “D.S.” lacked.

He could not easily throw off the cares of office and give himself to the needs of the moment. The late Mr. David Lloyd George once said that his buoyancy was due to the fact that he had the knack of concentrating on one thing at a time. When he brushed his hair, he only thought of his hair and not of the Cabinet meeting he was due to attend a few minutes later. He could fall asleep whenever he felt the need for it.

“D.S” was a wise man but not a witty one. He could rarely make an interesting speech and had no feeling for a good phrase. He could not, for instance, say, as Sir John did when he raised his glass at the banquet given in his honour in the great Medici Palace, Villa Madama, in Rome: “On behalf of Ceylon, I salute Italy, the Light of Europe” a sentiment which brought a glow to the faces of the select company which graced that noble room and which seemed to elicit an approving nod from the Medici princes whose portraits hung on the walls, As a raconteur Sir John has few equals, even among the Prime Ministers of the world. Ask him to tell the story of how “D.S.” was mistaken for a lawyer and argued and won a case.

I have just returned from West Africa where I met statesmen who had seen Sir John in various parts of the world, in Bandung, Washington, Bonn and elsewhere. The impact of his personality seems to have made a lasting impression on these men.

It is not necessary to be in agreement with his politics to recognize qualities of leadership. One sees in Europe and, indeed, everywhere in the world, that peace and good government are the products of resolute leadership. Democracy means nothing if it does not bring to the surface men who are unafraid of difficulties and who grow in stature and humanity in proportion to the responsibilities placed on them. The power to inspire as well as give loyalty, the capacity to command as well as accept the will of the people, the gift of judging men as well as the significance of events, these are qualities which make a good executive. And what is a Prime Minister but the chief executive of the nation?

As an executive, the Prime Minister ranks high, a fact which comes to mind forcibly when one watches the desperate efforts made by under-developed countries to cut through red tape and get the jobs done. Countries which have enjoyed independence for over a hundred years would be glad to have the schools, highways, hospitals, townships, water schemes and harbour and telecommunication facilities which Ceylon has acquired during his tenure of office as Minister.

In my journalistic career, one of the things which gave me the greatest satisfaction was the successful issue of the campaign which the “Daily News” carried on for a residential University. We fought against the most formidable odds. It was often a desperate struggle with the result quivering in the balance. When the legislative hurdles were surmounted, the War came and lack of enthusiasm on the part of the authorities concerned bogged down the whole scheme.

Then it was that Mr. D.R. Wijewardene discovered the true calibre of the then Minister of Works. He went to him and inspired him to action. Today we have what, in the opinion of those best qualified to judge, is the most beautiful University in the world. It is true that beauty alone does not make a University great. We cannot judge, but it is there. It is there for present and future generations to make it what it should be. The time factor is inexorable. The lawns of Oxford are so smooth because they have been watered and mown for many centuries. Future generations will, nevertheless, bless the man who had the vision and wisdom to be guided aright to build for generations to come and not for the next 10 or 20 years only.