PROBLEM OF INDIA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 9 July 1925, Page 5

PROBLEM OF INDIA.

LEGISLATIVE EXPERIMENTS. LORD BIRKENHEAD’S SURVEY. BY CABLE—PRESS ASSOCIATION OOPYEIGHI LONDON/! July 8. The eagerlv awaited speech bv Lord Birkenhead (Secretary for India) on Indian policy followed the lines forecasted. Lord Birkenhead began by declaring that no short or dogmatic answer could be given to the question, Has the constitution of 1919 succeeded? It had neither altogether succeeded nor failed. Parliament liad provided that the constitution after ten years should be reviewed by a Royal Commission. It would undoubtedly ioquire such a revision, and it could not be too plainly stated that everything would necessarily be thrown into the melting-pot. Diarchy itself was obviously not a sacred principle, but must be decided by the results. Regarding the date of revision, in Lord Birkenhead’s view it was not the intention of the Legislature to shackle succeeding Governments, hut the essential condition remained clear and precise. Th|re would not and could not be' reconsideration until they saw everywhere among the leaders of Indian thought evidence of a genuine desire to" co-operate in making the best of the existing constitution. The Swarajist Party had. unhappily, so far thrown its powerful weight on the other scale. Lord Birkenhead proceeded that he was prepared to offer full consideration to anv responsible scheme advanced by Indian critics. He added regarding the Merriman reoort that it was on the lines of a majority report, and immediate action must be taken. Many recommendations could Iks carried out by regulations. Lord Birkenhead, dealing with Indians in the Empire, asked other parts of the Empire to remember how profoundly this problem affected the relations between the Empire and India. He knew their difficulties, and only asked that in every measure they took they would exhaust every effort to avoid such discrimination as must deeplywound the ancient and dignified peoples of India. Lord Birkenhead concluded eloquently: “There is no ‘lost Dominion,’ nor will there he until the moment, if it over comes, when the whole British Empire with all it means is splintered in doom.”

The Morning Post says: “The concessions wil] not placate the implacable minority who captured the Indians’ electoral machinery. What have experiments done either for India or the Empire? India and Britain are to be left in doubt while the Viceroy, Lord Reading, pursues his vacillations in India and Lord Birkenhead supports them at home. Lord Birkenhead’s cajoleries to Indian politicians to cooperate or produce a constitution of their own seem ominous. We tell the Government frankly that if there is any tampering with home rule in India they will come down over it, just as the Coalition fell over home rule in Ireland.”

The Daily Telegraph says: “The Government’s replv to the language menace and tactics of politiical sabotage will be cordially approved.” The Daily Herald (the Labour paper) remarks that Lord Birkenhead suffered from the faults of pomposity, overemphasis aim emptiness/ He was obliged to confess that Ministers, after two meetings of Cabinet, could not agree regarding Indian policy.