VICEROY’S INITIATIVE AVERTS PARTY CLASH IN NORTH-WEST FRONTIER

Evening Star, Issue 26087, 29 April 1947, Page 5

VICEROY’S INITIATIVE AVERTS PARTY CLASH IN NORTH-WEST FRONTIER

(Roc. 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, April 28. The resourcefulness of the Viceroy, Lord Louis iMountbatten, and the restraint of rival political parties helped to avert a clash during the vice-regal visit to-day, says the Peshawar correspondent of ‘ The Times.’ Ilted Shirts of the Congress Ministerial Party took tlio advice of the Governor, Sir Olaf Caroe, and refrained from demonstrating in the city while 80,000 Moslem Lengue Gr.een Shirts assembled in Cunningham Park, on the outskirts of Peshawar The Viceroy solved the problem of keeping excited partisans peaceful by visiting Cunningham Park and greeting them in a friendly fashion. The news that the Viceroy and his wife were present in Cunningham Park caused many thousands of Moslems to rush towards them cheering and shouting: “ Long life to the Viceroy.” Lord Louis, in a jungle-green uniform, saluted the crowd, and Lady Mountbatten waved cheerfully. Lord Louis later granted an interview to frontier officials and attended a meeting of the hitherto sceptical Congress Ministry to explain British policy. He theu summoned to Government House from Peshawar central gaol the Moslem League leaders who had hitherto failed to avail themselves of the North-west Frontier Govern mentis amnesty. “ The people must be prepared for the partition of some provinces as. well as of Ipdin itself,” said the president of the Indian Constituent Assembly, Rajendra Prasad, opening the Assembly’s third session in New Delhi. He added that' the Assembly may have to draw up a Constitution based on such a division. Reuter’s correspondent says the provisional agenda for the present session sets October 31 as the deadline for drafting the new Constitution. The/Moslem League is still boycotting the Assembly. A Moslem railway pay office worker shot dead a Hindu police officer at Rawalpindi railway station to-day. The officer’s colleague fired and wounded the assailant. During.—the shooting four police officers, a railway transport officer, a passenger, and a porter are reported to have been wounded. The motive for the attack is not known.