Dominions Consulted

Northern Advocate, 4 June 1947, Page 5

Dominions Consulted

An India Office spokesman said the Dominions were informed and consulted during the whole negotiations, and all Dominions agreed with the central points of the plan. The Governor-Generalship would be a question for the new Dominions themselves. On this there would be no British attempt at coercion.

The plan definitely did not take into consideration the question of a corridor between Pakistan and Hindustan

With a great and predominantly Hindu area separating them, he did not, for a moment, suppose that a corridor was possible through that area.

On the question of boundaries which would be a matter for a boundary commission, ne admitted that complete subdivision, down to the last Moslem or Hindu village would be an unsclvable problem.

The question of common defence was also a matter for discussion, but he

expressed the opinion that India, with her enormous coastline, would probably be glad of assistance from the British Navy, at least for a time.

The Army would also be valuable on certain frontiers.

The Associated Press New Delhi correspondent points out that a divided India would mean that Hindustan would contain 198,000,000 people, with 85,000,000 members of the Princely States.

Pakistan would contain 57,000.000 with 8,000.000 members of the Princely States.

The greatest industrial and agricultural wealth would be contained in Hindustan, including India’s three biggest cities. Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, and the national capital, New Delhi.

Pakistan would have in the Punjab the best irrigation system, rich jute crops in Eastern Bengal, and most of the limited oil resources of Sind and Baluchistan.