BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 39, 9 November 1938, Page 13

BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

An Indian Viewpoint WHERE WILL IT END? As an Indian intensely interested in Indian independence and world peace I have followed recent developments in Spain and Czechoslovakia with anxious Interest, says Jawaharlal Nehru, the Indian National Congress Partyleader, in a letter to the “Manchester Guardian.” For some years past the Indian National Congress has criticised and dissociated itself from British foreign policy, which has seemed to us consistently reactionary and anti-Fascist and Nazi aggression. Manchuria, Palestine, Abyssinia and Spain agitated the people of India. In Manchuria the foundations were laid for encouraging triumphant aggression, all covenants and rules of international law were ignored, and the League of Nations sabotaged. With till our sympathy and goodwill for the Jews in their distress in the face of fierce and inhuman persecution in Europe, we considered the struggle iu Palestine as essentially a national struggle for freedom which was suppressed by violence by British Imperialism in order to control the route to India. In Abyssinia there was a gross betrayal of a brave people. In Spain little was left undone which could harass the republic and encourage tlie insurgents. Having decided that the Spanish Government should lose or was going to lose, the British Government tried in a variety of ways to hasten Hie desired end, and even insult, injury and gross humiliation by the insurgents were endured. Britain's Responsibility. The fact that everywhere this policy has been a disastrous failure has not deterred the British Government from pursuing it. Tlie consequences of the rape of Manchuria we see all around us in the world to-day. The problem of Palestine grows worse from day to day and violence counters violence, and the Government uses ever-increasing military forces and coercion in an attempt to subdue a people. It is not always remembered that the problem is largely the creation of the British Government, and it must shoulder the responsibility for 'much that has happened. Abyssinia still remains unconquered and is likely to remain so. In Spain an heroic people have refused to fall iu with the wishes of tlie British Government and have demonstrated that they will not be and cannot be crushed or subdued. It is a remarkable record of failure. And yet Hie Government of Great Britain is not capable of learning from it and mending its ways. It . pursues even more intensively its policy of encouraging aggression and giving support to General Franco and the Fascist and Nazi Powers. No doubt it will curry on in this way, if allowed to do so. till it puts an end to itself as well as the British Empire, for over-riding every other consideration are its own class sympathies and leanings towards Fascism. That will certainly be a service it will render, howsoever unwittingly, to the world, and I would be the last person to object to an ending of Imperialism. But I am deeply concerned with the prospect of world war, and it distresses me exceedingly to realise how British foreign policy is directly leading to war. It is true that Herr Hitler has the last and determining word in this matter, but Herr Hitler’s decision itself will largely depend on the British attitude. This attitude has so far done everything to encourage him and to bully and threaten Czechoslovakia. So, if war conies, the British Government ean have the satisfaction or the reverse of feeling that it was largely responsible for it, and the people of Britain, who have put this Government in power, ean draw what comfort they ean from this fact. A Feeling of Nausea. I had thought that nothing that the Government did could surprise me (unless it suddenly turned progressive and worked for peace). But I was mistaken. Recent developments in Czechoslovakia, and the way the British Government, directly and through its mediators, has bullied and threatened the Czech Government at every turn, has produced a feeling of nausea in me, and I have wondered how any Englishman with any trace of liberal instincts or decency could tolerate this. I have wondered still more how those who talk so loudly of peace could have supported, actively or passively, this obvious invitation to war.

Recently I spent some time in Czechoslovakia and came into contact with numerous people, both Czech and German. I returned full of admiration for the admirable temper of the Czechs and the democratic Germans, who, in face of grave danger and unexampled bullying, kept calm and cheerful, eager to do everything to preserve peace and yet fully determined to keep their independence. A s events have shown, they are prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy every minority claim and preserve peace, but everybody know s that the question at issue is not a minority one. If it was a love of minority rights that moved people, why do we not hear of the German minority in Italy or of the minorities in Poland? The question is one of power politics and the Nazi desire to break up the Czecho-Soviet alliance, to put an end to the one democratic State in Central Europe, to reach the Rumanian oilfields and wheal, and thus to dominate Europe. British policy Ims encouraged this ami tried to weaken that democratic State. India’s Resentment. In any event, we in India want no Fascism or Imperialism, and we are more convinced than ever that both are akin and dangers to world peace and freedom. India resents British foreign policy and will be no party to it. and we shall endeavour with all our strength to sever the bond that unites us to Illis pillar of reaction. The British Government lias given us an additioual ami unanswerable argument for complete independence. All our sympathies are with Czechoslovakia. If war comes, the British people, in spile of their pro-Fa'scist Government, will inevitably be dragged into it. But, even then, how will this Government, witli ils patent sympathies for the Fascist and Nazi States, advance tlieeau.se of democracy tint! freedom’,' So long as this Government endures, Fascism will always be art the doorstep.

The people of India have no intention of submitting to any foreign decision on war. ’They only can decide, and certainly they will not accept the dictation of the British Government, which they distrust utterly. India would willingly tlirpw her entire weight on tile side of democracy ami freedom, Imt we heard I these words often twenty years argo and ' more. Only free and democratic countries can help freedom and democracy

elsewhere. IT Britain is on the side of democracy, then its first task is to eliminate empire from India. That is the sequence of events in Indian eyes, and to that ecqucnec the people of India will adhere.