INDIA CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20721, 14 November 1930, Page 11

INDIA CONFERENCE.

OPENING SPEECHES. DOMINION STATUS CLAIM. ' [URGED AS A EIGHT. [VICEROY'S STATEMENTS. ACTION EXPECTED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. LONDON. Nov. 12. Not even •when Warren Hastings was fried in est minster Hall did India so fill tho stage at the Empire's capital as she' did to-day, when the King-Emperor opened tlie round table conference in the Royal Gallery of the House of Lords. '['lie white, grey, blue, Mack, crimson, Fcarh;t and yellow turbans and other head dresses of the Indian delegates, contrasting with t ho dark clothes which were almost universally worn—even by tho Indians —stood out as bold splashes of colour against the bare-headed Britons. Tlio 83 delegates present included tlio rulers of great States, tlio bearers of fatuous and ancient names such as the Mahadja of Alwar, of tho most ancient Rajput blood: the Maharaja of Bikaner, who signed tho peace treaty; and the Maharaja of Nawanagar, formerly known ns Ranjitsithji, famous in the cricket world. The//representatives of British India included the Aga Khan, who wore hornrimmed spectacles; U Ba Po of Burma, who wore a pink turban and a green -skirt; Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru and Mr. M. A. Jinnah, who organised tho boycott of tho Simon Commission; Mr. Srinivasa Sastri, who visited Australia and New Zealand as a representative of tho Indian Government; two women. Mrs, Shah Xawaz, and Mrs. Subrarayan, who was educated at Oxford. Maharaja a Striking Figure. Sir John Simon, Viscount Burnhnm end other members of the commission were among the spectators. Tlio Dominion rrimo Ministers, Messrs. J. IT. Scullin (Australia) and G. W. Forbes (New Zealand), I!. B. Bennett (Canada), General Hertzog (Soutli (Africa) and Sir Richard Squires (Newfoundland), occupied front row seats. After the King had made his opening speech departed the Maharaja of Patiala, a most striking figure, tall and strongly built, in a black coat buttoned to the/chin, a light blue tnrban, with a strong and very black beard and wearing ear-rings containing pearls as large ns peas, moved that the British Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, be chairman of tho conference. The Aga Khan seconded the motion in seven words and it v.as carried on a show of hands. Princes' Loyalty to Britain. After Mr. -MacDonald's address t he Maharaja of Kashmir said that as allies of Britain the Indian Princes stood fcolidiy for the British connection. He affirmed that the Princes would not see tho cor/ferenco fail through their fault. Mr. Sastri, referring to the statements of the Viceroy, Lord Irwin, concerning Dominion status, declared that the allotted task of the conference was to interpret those statements literally and | translate them courageously into con- j crete proposals for the benefit of India and the increased glory of the British Commonwealth. Mr. Sastri's speech was tho most eloquent of all. It cuT/ninated in a plea that the round table hereafter should be known as the "table of rounded wisdom and statesmanship." Birth of a New Dominion. Mr. Jinnah said India now expected that tho Viceroy's pronouncements would bo translated into action. There was 110 more momentous or graver issue before India and Britain than that they were facing to-day. He was glad the Dominion Prime Ministers were there to witness the birth of the new Dominion of India to march beside thein. Alone among the Indian speakers Mr. «7innah )iad kept his speech secret until lie delivered it. Ife is a typical AngloIndian university man. He was the only Indian in the room who wore a monocle which, in a fit of restlessness, kept slipping from its socket. Mr. Jinnah went most direct of all for Dominion status. "India expects the translation of the many declarations of self-gove/nmeiit info action," he said. SOME OF THE DELEGATES NOTABLE PRINCES PRESENT. NOTES ON PERSONALITIES. The representatives of the Indian States /it the round-table conference are: I he Maharajas of Alwar, Baroda, Bikaner, Dholpur, Jammu and Kashmir, Nauatiapar, Patiala, Rewa, the Nawab of Bhopal, the Chief of Sangli, Sir Prabhashankar t Paltani, President of the Council of Administration, Bhavnagar; Sir Manubhai j Mehta, Prime Minister, Bikaner; Sardar ; Sahibzada' Sultan Ahmed Khan, member } of Council of Regency, Gwalior; Nawab Sir Muhammad Akbar Hydari, member of the Executive Council, Hyderabad; Sir Mir/a Muli a tdiii ad Ismail, President of Council, Mysore; and Colonel K. N T . 3faksar, member of Council of Regency, Gwalior. The British Indian representatives include 'The Aga Khan, Nawab Sir Abdul Qaivum Khan, Sir C. P- Ramaswami lAiyar, Mr. ,T. N. Basu, Sir Hubert Carr, Mr. 0. de (jlanvillc, U Ba Pe, Lieutenant- f Colour] A. J. Gidney, Mr. M. R- j Jayakar, Mr. M. A. Jinnah, Mr. T. F. Gavin Jones, Sir Provash Chandra Mittcr, Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, Mr- Srinivasa Sastri, .Sir Chimanlal Setalvad. Sir Plieroze Sethria, Mrs. Shah Nawaz, Cap--1 airi Raja/ Slier Muhammad Khan of d Donieli, Mrs. fciubbarayan and Mr. C. E. , i»Vood. 11 The Aga Khan is the religious head of the Ismail' community of Moslems and s has many followers in East Africa, Central Asia ami India. Moslems of all tlnsses look up to him as a leader. U Ba Pe has identified himself with tlio social and educational revival movement of Young Burma. He was one the founders of tho \oung Mens I'iiddhist Association, which has played important part in tho political regeneration of Burma. Ho iB one of the ttlongest opponents of the Government B n the BuiTua Legislative Council. In j al

tho first Reformed Council ho was elected Deputy-President. He is leader of the People's Party. Nawab Sir Sahibzada Abdul Qaiyum has done long and distinguished service in the 'North-West Frontier Province, for which ho received tho title Nawab and a K.C.1.E., among other honours. At tho close of his service 110 was Political Agent, Khyber. His is now nominated nonoflicial member from North-West Frontier Province in tho Assembly. Mr. M. A. Jinnah, Advocate of the Bombay High Court, is president of the Moslem League and a prominent Moslem politician, who also enjoys the confidence of Hindus. Ifo was one of tho leaders who organised tho boycott of the Simon Commission. Mr. Srinivasa Sastri, a member of the Imperial Legislative Council, 1916-20, was closely associated with Mr. Montagu during his tour in India in 1918; represented India at tho Imperial Conference in 1921 and at tho League of Nations and the Washington Conference on tho Reduction of Naval Armaments in tho same year. Appointed Privy Councillor and received tho freedom of the city of London, 1921. Undertook a tour in tho Dominions as a representative of tho Government of India, 1922. Elected inernoer Council of State, 1921-24; agent of the Government of India to South Africa, 1927-29; member Whitley Commission. Mrs, Shah Nawaz, of the Punjab, has done soino education work; she is a daughter of Sir Muhammad Shaft. Mrs. Subbarayan is tho wife of tho Chief Minister, Madras. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, a leading Liberal, was a member of the Imperial Council, 1916-20; member of Moderate Deputation, and appeared as a witness before Lord Selborne's Committee in London, 1919; Law Member, Viceroy's Executive Council, 1920-22; represented India at the Imperial Conference in London in 1923; member of the Reforms Inquiry Committee, 1924. Mr. M. I\. Jayakar was a member of Bombay Legislative Council and leader Swaraj (Homo Rule) Party; has been a member of the Legislative Assembly since 1926. Holds advanced social views, and is a prominent member of tho Hindu Mahasabha. Was 0110 of the founders of the Responsivists Tarty, which broke sn\ay from the Swarajists as a protest against the insistence of the latter on refusing offices under the Government. Mr. Tracey French Gavin Jones (Upper India) has been a member of tlje United Provinces Legislative Council and Assembly; deputy-president Associated Chambers of Commerce of India and Ceylon, 1929-50; vice-president of the European Association, 1950. Sir Hubert Winch Carr (Bengal) was chairman of tho Indian Tea Association, 1919; president European Association, India, 1922 to 1926. Mr. C. E. Wood (Madras), president Local Board of Imperial Bank of India, was chairman Madras Chamber of Commerce, 1923 and 1926. Member of Madras Legislative Council since 1920.