INDIAN UNREST

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 March 1922, Page 5

INDIAN UNREST

J. GANDHI ARRESTED. CHARGE OF SEDITION. .) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association. DELHI, March 11. i- Gandhi, the Indian Nationalist lead ic er, has been arrested at Ahmedabad i- The ground of the arrest was a chargt ,e of sedition. WASHINGTON. March 11. n Those representing Gandhi in Arneo rica state that the arrest of Gandhi Aviil be the signal in India fur an outh break staggering in history. e It is declared Gandhi is the only a person able to hold the extremists in [. check. His arrest will remove the 0 restraint on violence. ,[ MUTINY REPORTED. Reed. 10 a.m. NEW YORK, March 11. Gho-e asserts that ho has received [• (.aides stating that Sikh and Punjaubi ,- troops at Amlialla mutinied, following the e ariest of Gandhi. Hartals have begun in e dll the principal Indian cities. t — HOME GOVERNMENT BJ-AMED 1 LONDON, March 11. The “Times, " commenting editorially on ■ Gandhi’s arrest, and the events leading up i to the deplorable muddle and publication . of the telegram to Mr Montagu before the arrest, says: It will lead the Indian masses to conclude that the professed L solicitude for A!oslem feelings is merely a subterfuge for a- decision to take action ’ against Gandhi. Such a conclusion, no matter how false, is bound to weaken the autlioritv of the Indian Government, but the true cause of the weakness is nearer home, 'l'he British Government has shown itself halting, uncertain and incoherent. ' PRINCE AT DELHI. DELHI. Alarch 10. The last stage of the Prince’s visit to Delhi was marred by the usual manifestation hostility by the adherents of Gandhi. A hartal, which was proclaimed at Rawelpindi, yesterday to extend over three days, became general in the Indian quarters to-day. The shops were closed. The wheeled transport was materially reduced by a strike of the taxi drivers. The Gandhi agents endeavoured to prevent the inhabitants from in any way participating in the welcome. A number of Gamlhist ringh aders were arrested. The Prince stayed in a house which was well removed from the disaffected area, and he reviewed the troops of the garrison during the morning. It was ihe largest and best display of British and Indian units witnessed during the tour. MR. AIONTAGU’S SPEECH. EX-COLL EAtl U ES CR IT ICT S ED. LONDON, Alarch 11. Air. Alontagu, late Indian Secretary, addressing his constituents, said : — The country should welcome Air. Lloyd George’s return to the- principle of Cabinet responsibility. The genius or the dictator now ruling had, on many occasions, reached epochal decisions, without consulting, the Cabinet, the most notable recent instance being his decision to invite Russia, to Genoa. Later, Colonel Amery, without Cabinet authority, had published the Admiralty's reply to the Geddes Economy report. The real explanation of his dismissal was that, in view of the threatened collapse of the Government, Air. Lloyd George wanted to offer his head on a charger to the Conservatives. Every member of the Cabinet had a copy of the Indian despatch a week prior to its liberation for publication. Lord Curzon, or any one else could have vetoed its publication if they had wanted to. No one did so. .Lord Curzon, indeed, whose policy of missed and bungled opportunities had disastrously embarrassed his (Alontagu’s) policy in India, instead of raising the question in the Cabinet, wrote him after the Cabinet meeting a hectoring protest against the proposed step. Ho had often been on the verge of resigning, but he had carried on, hoping that he. would be able to show India and the Aloslcms that. Britain’s pledges had not been irretrievably broken. In concluding, Air. Alontagu said that ho had offered to resign his seat in Parliament, but the meeting refused this, and passed unanimously a vote of confidence in him. OFFER TO LORD DERBY. LONDON, Alarch 11. The “Daily Chronicle” states that Mr. Lloyd George has invited Lord Derby to take up the position of Secretary for India.