INDIAN PROBLEM

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 83, 9 April 1942, Page 7

INDIAN PROBLEM

DEFENCE FORMULA

Settlement Now Considered Not Improbable United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. noon. LONDON, April 8. It is understood that the Congress Working Committee discussed the new defence formula, which is generally acceptable to Sir Stafford Cripps and other prominent Congressmen, and that Colonel Johnson, President Roosevelt's personal envoy, was associated with its drafting, states a message from New Delhi. A settlement Is now considered not improbable and it is believed it will permit the functioning of a national government. The working committee of the Moslem League carried a resolution declaring th&t the solidarity and unity of India were essential for the common good cf the Indian people, and the best interests of the Moslems. The British proposals would create several Ulsters within India, to the advantage of Britain, whose proposals would be unacceptable unless modified as follows:— (1) No province should be allowed to keep out of the Indian union unless the scheme for an Indian union be given a fair trial of ten years.

(2) The Constitution-making body should be elected by adult franchise. (3) The defence of India should be transferred forthwith to Indian hands, and the Indian States given the right to elect representatives to the Constituticn-making body. Britain Will Do Its Duty The following paragraph, which was omitted from the condensed cable version of the speech of the British Ambassador, Viscount Halifax, yesterday, is strongly stressed by the American Press, says a New York message. It is: "If, however, our best efforts fail, the British Government would find itself obliged to do its own duty without the assistance or co-operation of the larger organised Indian parties. Should this be so, many of India's best friends here and elsewhere would deplore the fact that Sir Stafford Cripps has failed to win agreement, but, sad as they might be, they would not find difficulty in deciding where the responsibility lay." Lord Halifax said that such information as he had received indicated that the rejection of Sir Stafford Cripps' proposals was not unlikely. He was, however, reluctant to think that the leaders of Indian thought would fail to grasp the opportunity open to them, and he hoped wiser counsels would prevail. In the event of rejection o the British Government would be obliged to do its own duty without the assistance or copperation of the larger Indian organised parties. He hoped they would continue to have the co-opez'ation and goodwill of millions of Indians, who were not less devoted than their accredited leaders to the cause of Indian freedom. "The Indian Army has been expanded by voluntary enlistment to about 1,500,000 and will grow as fast as equipment becomes available, as will the navy and the air force,"said Lord Halifax. "Industrial expansion has been constant, and the output of steel, munitions and equipment is now impressive. There has been no strike of any consequence, and it would be hard to point to any field of war effort in which the expansion has been limited for lack of patriotic zeal.