FUTURE OF INDIA

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXI, Issue 14, 30 December 1930, Page 9

FUTURE OF INDIA

ARMY OFFICER'S CONFIDENCEWOMEN’ ART. [Per Press Association.! Auckland, Dec. 29. "There will certainly be few openings in the Indian Army for officers of the New Zealand forces who may be retired as a result of retrenchment, which, 1 understand, is now being carried out,” said Lieut.Colonel R. F, S. Beyts, an officer with 30 years' service in India, who arrived by the Niagara in the course of a world tour. Colonel Beyts has just started on two years’ accumulated leave, after which he will retire He said the army in India was fully staffed and when he left a proposal to retire captains with 16 years’ service was being considered. Colonel Beyts said he had no fears for the future of India, in spite of recent developments which, at this distance, might seem ominous. All educated Indians realised that they had received much benefit from the British Government. It was to be expected that in a vast country of many creeds and riches there would be difficulties, and while so-called patriots were retarding the advancement so much desired by the progressive element, nothing would stop this advance.

One great feature of the present position in India was the part women were now taking in the public life of the country, a thing unheard of 20 years ago. They now went unveiled inid spoke in public, and as they represented the home and spoke for great masses of women their influence must be far-reaching. Colonel Beyts was of the opinion that compulsory primary, technical mid agricultural training was necessary in India to fit the people to carry on the work of the country. At present too much attention was paid to higher education.