INDIAN ARMY

Evening Star, Issue 20688, 10 January 1931, Page 12

INDIAN ARMY

NATIVE ASPIRATIONS GRADUAL ELIMINATION OF BRITISH OFFICER (British Official Wireless.) Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, January 9. Presiding over the sub-committee of the Round Table Conference, Mr J. H - Thomas, referring to the Indianisatiou of the Indian Army, and the establishment in India of a military college, said that if all recruitment of British officers ceased on the day the output from the Indian Sandhurst started, and if its output was calculated to meet the normal wastage, it would be about twenty-five years befoi'e the last British officer was eliminated from the Indian Army. If, in accordance with the views expressed, it was not desired that British officer recruitment should cease immediately, then the period would be thirty-five years after the last British officer was recruited. But the complete Indianisation of the Army was not a preliminary necessary to the full attainment of responsible Government. Thus, all the dominions were still dependent on the British Navy for protection. Those who were soldiers with war experience would realise that an entirely new creation officer class was not simply a question of calculation alone. The question of defence was too vital to take chances upon, and that aspect must weight with the Indians the more they became I'espousible for their country. The question to be examined was what was a safe and wise rate of substituting Indian for British officers in the Indian Army, and whether it was desirable to eliminate the British officer at the earliest period. Assuming that' there was a common object in view—namely, the protection and defence of India, the Government had no objection to a declaration favouring Indianisation and carrying it into effect witlr a definite recommendation for the establishment of a military college in India, hut such establishment need not involve discontinuance of the existing practice of a limited number of Indian students attending Sandhurst College iu England, which had obvious advantages.

Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru urged speeding up Indianisation. Sir Pheroze Sethna pointed out that Indian military ability was not confined to the so-called “ martial races.” Dr Moonje thought all recruitment in India should be among Indians, and that the Indian Government should recruit in England any British officer required. Sir Mirza M. Ismail thought the elimination of British officers undesirable, even if practicable, and that ther<» should be at first a fixed percentage of Indian officers, which would be increased in the light of experience. Mr M. A. Jinnah declared that India was capable of making good the wastage without further recruitment of; British personel, and Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qaiymn suggested that British students should also be encouraged to enter the Indian Sandhurst. Mr Thomas is drafting a series of resolutions focussing the issues raised in the discussion. PRIME MINISTER'S STATEMENT WILLING TO GRANT LARGE MEASURE OF SELF-GOVERNMENT. LONDON, January 8. Mr Ramsay MacDonald, speaking at Seaham, said: “ The situation is being built up in relation to India.’* needs and Imperial safeguards. 1 do not see the least danger to Britain or the dominions in giving India the power of self-government, with certain securities, that will enable it to feel that the burden of Government rests on its own shoulders, and not on those of some outside body.”