Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, MAY 7th., 1930. EGYPT & INDIA

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 May 1930, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, MAY 7th., 1930. EGYPT & INDIA

*J*HE fear at home, and the hope abroad, that the MacDonald Ministry would be weak in its foreign policy are being amply disproved of late, and whatever the defects of the Labour Government, it is pleasing to note that undue concessions to self-proclaimed oppressed nations, is a mistake being avoided. India, Egypt, and elsewhere have provided Mr. Henderson (Foreign Secretary) with opportunities to please those in his own Party who habitually side with the foreigner in any dispute with Britain, but happily, he has taken the more patriotic course, and outside disputants are finding again that where foreign ’affairs are concerned, the Homeland is rarely

divided by Party politics, when the issue has to be really faced. Mr. Henderson—who is reported to be but the mouthpiece of the Prime Minister, whose interest in foreign policy is personally strong —has his hands full at present. In addition tot the ordinary routine which is enough to keep a Foreign Secretary busy, he has just completed an agreement with China over the handing back of Weihaiwei, an act of justice somewhat overdue. The negotiations with [Egypt have been an additional [task, and none in the Empire will regret the breakdown of the conference, if peace can be obtained

only at the price of risking the safety of the Suez Canal, and a recurrence of chaos in the Soudan. The Egyptian arrogance—or bluff —has received a check that should help to remove any misunderstandings the extremists, among the Egyptians, have that they can browbeat a Labour Ministry into docility. Evidently, gratitude for services rendered by is not dominant in the Egyptian charae-

ter, and once again has it been demonstrated that British standards and ideals have not yet been reached by some other nations. India, however, provides Britain’s most serious problem, to-day. The arrest of Gandhi was not made hurriedly, and does not seem to have been avoidable. "Whether the consequences will be critical, time will show, but Gandhi has been

arrested before, and nothing happened. Ample warning has been given to the authorities to take the necessary precautions, and control should be retained of the situation, without difficulty. Gandhi, himself, may attract sympathy because of his ideals, but good intentions can work great mischief, unless accompanied by wisdom. Britain is willing to meet India’s aspirations, but the country is not at present,, (ready for self-government. The facts of the dispute are fairly well

known, and all that can be done at present is to support the British attitude of insisting that the Indian people can show they are able to walk, administratively, before being permitted to run.