INDIAN UNION BILL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25227, 4 July 1947, Page 7

INDIAN UNION BILL

BRITISH CABINET TO CONSIDER DRAFT

EARLY PRESENTATION TO COMMONS

(NJE. Press Association—Copyright) LONDON, July 2. “The British Cabinet intends tomorrow to approve the bill for the creation of the Union of India,” says the political correspondent of Reuters. “If, however, concurrence is delayed from New Delhi, where the Indian leaders are studying the draft, a special Cabinet meeting will be called to ensure that the legislation is ready for the House of Commons by Monday.

“It is believed that the most probable choice of title for the legislation will be the ‘lndian Independence Bill.’ ” The Viceroy (Viscount Mountbatten) to-day received Mr Gandhi, and it is understood that they discussed for two hours the final draft of India’s Independence Bill to hand over power to the Indians. Four other Indian leaders—Mr Nehru, Mr Jinnah, Mr Patel, and Mr Liaqudt Ali Khan—have been given a preview of the draft bill. They studied it separately under a pledge of secrecy. The announcement by the British Prime Minister (Mr Attlee) of the change in the title of “Dominions” indicated • that, from the day of the transfer of power to India, the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Relations, who is to be the present Dominions Secretary (Viscount Addison), will provide a link between Britain and the Union of India.

Political quarters think that the new arrangement may eventually involve a change in the title of the high commissioners in the Commonwealth, including India. The Dominions have often made the point that, in the diplomatic world, the ambassadors of minute countries have precedence over the high commissioners of great and powerful Dominions.

The meeting of Commonwealth representatives at the Japanese peace treaty conference at Canberra in August, which Viscount Addison will attend, may provide an opportunity for a discussion on this sub-