SURVEY OF SITUATION

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 123, 27 May 1930, Page 9

SURVEY OF SITUATION

POLICY UNALTERED

BENN SEEKS SUPPORT

British Ofllclal Wireless.

(Received 27th May, 11 a.m.) KUGBY, SGth^ May. The situation, in India was discussed in the House of Commons this'evening during a debate on tho India Office Vote.

The Secretary for India, Mr. Wedgwood Bonn, said that, despite newspaper headlines,'the vast majority of Indian people in tiie urban areas, and certainly in the rural areas, pursued daily their avocations under the benevolence of a settled arid ordered Government. It wns true that the governmental machine was designed by .English hands, but it was to-day mainly operated by Indian hands, not only in positions of high control, but almost exclusively in its subordinate branches. TRADE POSITION GOOD. Dealing statistically with some aspects of the national life, lie said that there were few countries in tho world that in the matter of external trade could give a better showing than India. Last year private trading merchandise showed an available balance of £i>B,----000,000, and in the four preceding years the trado balance, was equally good. As regarded. public expenditure, last years-Budget ctoswl with a balance on the right side, and although it was found that on the basis of existing taxation there would bo a deficiency, the Government of India, with the support of the Legislative Council, presented a Budget which would at any rate balauco and, perhaps, show a surplus. It would also maintain in the eyes of the world tho solid financial position in which India had always.stood. Last week the Government floated a loan of seven million pounds, which was over-subscribed. Tho prices of Indian securities on the London market were higher now than they were on Ist January, despite all the events which had occurred in the meantime. , > Although there was a large public debt in India, 80 per cent, was represented by productive'assets. . Remarkable progress has'been made with the electrification of" railways, ■ and 28> oV°>' 000.acres, or nearly 13 per ecnt.^of tho whole crop of India, had been brought under irrigation.at a cost of £75,000,----000. When the schemes now .under construction wero completed, tho total area under irrigation would Ijo nearly 40,----000,000 acres. . ■ , . Regarding the trade and industrial position generally during'tho last 20 years India's overseas trade had nearly 'doubled. In agriculture the number of members of co-operative credit societies i had increased from 300,000 to 3J millions. Those who rightly desired the uplift- of the peasant or the industrial worker should nof overlook the lnagmficcut work carried on by Englishmen in co-operation with Indians under tho present Constitution in India. In tho last ten years more progress has been made in industrial legislation than in tho preceding fifty years. . ' . GROWTH OF SELF-GOVERNMENT. Dealing with the development of tho relations betwffcn the Home Government and the Government of India, Mr. Bonn pointed out that the growth of self-government in the British Commonwealth had been earned out in,,various forms. Tho Government of India, was looking moro and more for tho approval and support of the Legislature and Indian public opinion for a really effective lasting growth of a mcasurc'oi seligovernnient. .' , . j Tho military force in India -consisted of the Army, Air. Force, and Marines, and there had been no material tehango in the strength since it was reorganised after the war. ... '•' ~'.,»! Proceeding, Mr. Benn alluded to tlio recent disturbances which had been confined to urban districts and, generally speaking Mohammedans had held aloof. The disturbances might bo .described accurately as sporadic rather than general. In'some recent resolutions passed by the Congress Working Committee at Allahabad a proposal was made- that these disturbances should be extended. So far the resolutions had not been-put I into effective force, and it was not the. intention of the Government that they should be permitted to. be made cfteetive. • FRONTIER QUIETER., Referring to the • position in the j North-West Frontier province and. in, the tribal areas, he said that since tho April disturbances Peshawar had been quiet, and normal life had been, or was being resumed, but outaido Peshawar a centre of disturbance was caused by tho leader, called the Hadji of Turangzai, and his son, who settled themselves i in the hills north-east of Peshawar. Action was taken against them, and was proving effective. On. the whole the tribal situation had greatly improved. There 'had been no hostile, movements of any tribe as a whole. ' _ ' j Mr. Benn extended his sympathy to district, Magistrates and the officers of local governments and tho Government of India in their difficulties and dan-i gers, and said that in this matter, as in , all others,, there had never been betw.een tho Government and-Viceroy anything but relations of the warmest understanding and the' strongest support. He looked forward to the day when Indian liberty shpuld be enlarged, and she should take her place as a. full seiieoveming Dominion. Within a very few weeks wo should have the Simon report, and the next stage was a conference to consider the question of constitutional advance and tho co-operation of those who could-speak authoritatively for the opinion of British India and the Indian States. ■ . ■

THE GOAL ACCEPTED. Speaking of the statement of the Viceroy, Mr. Bonn said: "The policy stands. The goal is accepted by ail parties, but there are docilities on the way to the goal. Those difficulties do'not exist exclusively or mainly on this side; they are largely Indian difficulties, and it is from Indian opinion we must seek a solution. I make bold to say that if at tnis conference substantial agreements are reached, no- Government will be likely to ignore its work, .'

For many years tho two countries hacl been linked together for undoubted well-being of both.' Was it too much to hope that bitterness might now be cast out so that the future might see the rebirth of nutual understanding and of strength? ■