"MOONSHINE."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 74, 29 March 1933, Page 7

"MOONSHINE."

NO POLICY CHANGE.

British Opinions on Status of

India.

DEBATE IN COMMONS

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, March 28.

Great interest is being taken in the three-day discussion on India in the House of Commons.

It arose out of the Government's motion providing that before Parliament was asked to make a decision on the Indian proposals a Joint Select Committee, of the House of Lords and the House of Commons, with power to call into consultation representatives of the Indian States and British India, should be appointed to consider the future Government of India.

Although the Opposition has decided to appoint representatives to serve' on the committee, it considers the Government's proposals inadequate. On the other hand, a group of Conservative members who constitute the Indian Defence Committee consider the proposals go much too far.

However, in view of the declaration

that the Joint Committee is to be set up "before Parliament is asked to make a decision" they are not to move any amendments, but will content tbemselves with a vigorous protest.

Liberal members intend

support the Government.

In the course of his opening speech the Secretary for India, Sir Samuel Hoare, said it was in view of the extremely difficult and highly controversial nature of Indian problems for months past that he had proposed to the House the unprecedented procedure under which a Joint Committee should be set up before any decisions were made.

"It is all moonshine," said Sir Samuel, "to suggest that the Government has in any way altered its general line of policy or modified its proposals of procedure as the result of pressure from any section of the House."

The Indian States would be free to enter* or not as they wished. The effective accession of a sufficient number of States was a fundamental condition of the whole proposals. One of the great advantages of the federal scheme was the opportunity it would give to the great provinces of developing on their own lines.

Sir Samuel said he believed the proposal for decentralisation might well be one that would give new life to Indian development. He defended the safeguards which had been attached from both sides as tho key questions of tho Government's proposals. They were safeguards that, if need be, could be carried into full effect. The importance of maintaining the credit of India, which was an essential condition to the success of a federation, had been kept fully in mind.

TRIBAL WARFARE.

INDO-AEGHAN FRONTIER. (Received 9.30 a.m.) CALCUUTTA, March 28. It is estimated that nearly 000 Wazir tribesmen from both sides of the IndoAfghan frontier were killed and a large number wounded in clashes with Afghan Government forces in a recent rebellion in the Khost district. The situation is now reported to bo under control.