MR SASTRI'S APPEAL.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17633, 9 December 1922, Page 4

MR SASTRI'S APPEAL.

RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT FOR INDIA. "SATETY FIBST." (FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) LOXDO.N, October 27. Members of the Koyal Colonial Institute yesterday, bad me pleasure of hearing the Eight Hon. Snnivasa Sa6tri speak before liis return to his own country. Mr Sastri has recently returned from his tour of A st.a.ia, Ca-ada, and Ne.v Zealand, and ti.e meniuers of the Institute took this o'loo.tunity of inviting him to be the Lonoureu guest at a luncheon. The brilliant statesman spoke on nis fa.o ..lte tiie;ue—v<;e eqi.al partnership o. I.cia in tne jjritaiiaie Common wealth. Sir James Alien was present with a large nuiuoer of Dominion reprvsentati.es. Sir Godfrey .Lagden, who presided, said the Royal Colonial Institute leit the desi.e more strongly than e..ter into closer cOmiii.mion with jUdia, to studj its affairs, ami to promote anything that furthered the interests and welfare of its people. Mr Sastri ;ind - reco-t). of public service, and his great c-picity and culture,, his brilliant powers of exposition, liau eoin.jinea to inn lor him resoeet and admiration not only in India but m the Dominions and t;;is toantry. lie had fuLLled his mission with rem arable success. Indians in the Dominions. Mr Sastri, who had a hearty .reception, regretted that he did not "isit South Africa, but, quoting hi : h authority without mentioning names, said he was assured that tor a good long time yet South Africa might not be m a state of moral and material preparedness to receive a deputation of U'O kind from India. In the hfcbt of tnat information the Government 01 India magnanimously resolved not to take the Union of South Africa by surprise. In the Dominion* to which he did go he believed that to some extent he r.aci achieved success in laying the foundation of a go- d understanding between them and India. India having been * willing party to the compact oi iVUS, bv which every Dominion and par-ner in the Empire was free to regulate to* composition *of its own populations by uitable immigration laws, he presented it as a case of justice to treat the few who had already acquired domicile as equal subjects of his Majesty. *<> that appeal they turned a willing ear, and he'was fairly certain it would not be long before the measure of legislation for which he asked would be vut on the Statute Book in the various Domiiioiis. (Cheers.) . He had struck a moat interesting time in English public affairs, as they were now engaged in tne periodical pastime of pulling down one Goverament and setting Nip another iie wished other nations besides this one knew the secret of accomplishing a revolution in so unsangumary and peaceful a manner. (Laughter.) They m India who had laboured for political emancipation had taken very good care not to be linked up with any of the political parties in this country, bu» they had looked' to the due fulfilment of obligations, and in this expectation they had not been often disappointed. In India to-day there was on all sidea the.expression of a very diffident and very hesitant opinion as to the utility and final usefulness to India of the connexion of India with Great Britain, yp all such hesitation, doubt, and misgiving they must put an end at the earliest possible opportunity. That had got w> be done at all costs. Be Content -with Second Best. In the conduct of the government of Ind.a (he continued) " 'safety first' should be your rule—the safety of India and the safety of the Empire; tho safety of the connexion between India and tfreat Britain. There are too many who identify this safety, which ought to be a large and comprehensive conception, with email and. fleeting interests. Some would identify it with the safety of the great Services, especially the British portion. Far be it from me to say a word in derogation of those Services. They hav* done noble, brilliant, and unexampled service to India and the Empire; but we must remember that they are for India and the Empire, and that India and the Empire are not for them." His request to people of influence here was not, with folded arms, to think too much of what was the best thing to do, but to do the second best in good time, and then, they would find in the long run that that was perhaps the best in the circumstances. Britain was pledged to the.hilt. The Government of India Act was an avowedly transitional measure which was intended to develop automatically into responsible government, and, subject to the sovereign requirement of "safety first," their duty was to terminate as soon as possible this trying period of transition, so that India might take her' place alongside the as equal partner in the British Commonwealth. To those who asked whether a nation had ever achieved independence without revolution, he said, on behalf of the party in India to which he belonged, they believed that the ideals o£ the British Empire'would still be realised by peaceful and constitutional means. He sincerely trusted that the aim of responsible government for India would be constantly borne in mind by those who had the.conduct of public affairs, and that India would be allowed to achieve her destiny as a member of the Britannic Commonwealth.