"SWARAJ"

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18463, 18 August 1925, Page 8

"SWARAJ"

INDIA'S STATUS. ANGLO-INDIAN JOURNALIST'S VIEWS. (special to "the musss.'') AUCKLAND, August 17. One is reminded of tho wido diversity of interests of tho Empire by the presence among the delegates now passing through Auckland to tho Imperial Tress Congress in Melbourne, of representatives from India, Malta, and tho Bahamas. Tho Indian delegates aro Mr Arthur Moore, of the "Statesman," Calcutta, and Mr 11. Smiles, of tho Rangoon "Gazette," Burmah. A reporter had an interesting talk this morning with Mr Moore, who, bofore ho became associated with the "Statesman" as director and member of the editorial staff, was foreign and Avar correspondent of "Tho Times," Loudon. He has travelled extensively in the Balkans, Albania, and Persia. Mr Moore's long knowledgo of India lends particular weight to his views on the present complex problems of that part of the Empire. Ho is not at all pessimistic about our future there, and from u commercial point of view hi 3 romarks aro most reassuring. Ho thinks that British interests are fully holding their own in trade matters, and that fifty yeara hence wo will bo doing even better. "Swaraj," or homo rule, does not sound half so pessimistic a subject when Mr Moore discusses it, as when one reads of it in some of tho contemporary journals. "The groat problem." said ho this morning, "is tho working out of the Montaguo Chelmsford Aot, which vas passed in 1919 and was largely promoted by tho deeds of Indian soldiers. During the Great War there was u strong feeling at Home that something must, be dono for India in tho way of an advance towards Dominion status, for tho wonderful part she had played in tho War. Tho trouble is that tho Indian politician does not appreciate tho fact that this advance was not won by him at all, but by tho Indian soldiers who fought for tho Empire. Theso politicians are apt to think that they can win concessions by fighting, as it were, against tho Empire, or by some form of moral intimidation, but at tho same time tho situation has enormously improved. I was out in India for 'The Times' in 1922, at the time tho Ohandi movement was at its height, and I can confidently say that to-day tho situation is one hundred per cent, better than it was throe years ago.

Non-Co-operation.

'' The non-co-operation movement is, in my firm opinion, absolutely dead," continued Mr Moore. "All tho promises of immediate swarflj, or homo rule, which wero made by two sanguino Indiuu politicians five yours ago, have proved false. Ghandi gave dates whon homo ru.o would be an accomplished fact, but all theso dates havo long passed by, couBeqUently no one any longer believes in the dificaey of tho Ghandi method. Ghandi himself, for tho purity of whoso life I havo tho highest respect, has como out of prison a vory much altered man, and is suffering from genoral disillusionment with tho non-co-operation programme. I had a most interesting conversation with Mr C. R. Das, Bengal leader, last spring, before he .died, in which he also expressed the same point of view. Ho said he was willing to co-operato in working the Act, and subsequently made the aamo offer publicly.

Britain's Wise Policy.

"The British in India have very wisely played with a straight bat," said Mr Moore, when asked liow he summed up the position to-day. "They have not gono in for a policy of reaction because of non-co-operation, nor have they been intimidated into making any further concessions before the time is ripo. Consequently, Indian politicians are moro and more realising that tho Montaguo reforms aro a roality, and do givo them immenso political powers. Ono unfortunato result of this is to increase tho tension between tho Mussulmans and Hindus. In timo, however, I am confident. that they will learn to accommodate their political ambitions, though the timo is far distant when they will cease to regard themselves as separato communities. One noteworthy thing is that for all largo Imperial purposes India now possesses Dominion status, for she has her High Commissioner, is a signatory to all treaties, and takes part in all discussions at tho League of Nations. The best testimony to internal reforms in India is the fact that tho extreme diehard attackß them as having gone too far and the extreme Indian politician declares that they don't go nearly far enough. Actually, tbny aro producing excellent results, and training tho Indians in Parliamentary life."