PACIFIC RELATIONS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 16

PACIFIC RELATIONS

AN ADDRESS ON INDIA

A meeting of the Wellington group of the Institute of Pacific Relations was held On Tuesday. The Rev. H. W. Newell gave an address on "Soma Helps, to an .Understanding of India.1 Mr." Newell, during his long residence in India, had special. opportunities of becoming acquainted with different groups of the people. Some might question what connection India had with the Pacific, he said, but it was found that at' all international meetings, India turned naturally to the Pacific group.rather than to the European. It was. said that the hope of peace in the Pacific jay in a China united and readjusted to itself and *o the world. The same might be said of India, for most of the Asiatic countries looked to India as the mother of their cultures arid of their religions,, ?nd the peace, of the world lay al'o on an India that could adjust herself to the world. ■ There were many evidences of maladjustment between. the British and Indians, due to the difference in outlook and to a lack of free intercourse and understanding between the races. One was a subject race and one felt it was a superior, thus there was an impasable barrier between them. •-.,-■

Mr. Newell mentioned incidents on both sides' which had led to bitter feelings, and which it would be difficult to forget, and then gave a vivid description of the great leader Gandhi and the man who will probably be his successor, Jawaha.rlal Nehru. These two men had given up world possessions, denied themselves comforts, and suffered imprisonment for their ideals, and were recognised by the people as great leaders. One of the sad things for the younger people was that they were losing their old culture, the inheritance of the ages; the varnacular was so debased that the old classics were no longer read; yet their knowledge of English was often so poor that they \vere left knowing'neither language nor culture well enough to enjoy the best. They heeded our sympathy in their difficulties. _ • •