INDIA CONFERENCE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 21037, 23 November 1931, Page 9

INDIA CONFERENCE.

DISCUSSIONS CONTINUED. LONDON PAPER'S OUTBURST. (Received November 22, 5.5 p.m.) British Wireless. RUGBY, Nov. 21. It is understood that the question of the India Round-table Conference was considered by the Cabinet yesterday. The Prime Minister, Mr. Mac Donald, has been devoting much of his time in the last few days to the affairs of the conference. It had been confidently expected, in view of the failure of the delegates to settle the communal problem, that the conference would be brought to an end this week, but in response to a desire for a discussion by the conference of sonic safeguards considered necessary at the outset in any scheme of federation, with responsibility at. a centre, these proposed reserved subjects are still being debated by the Federal Structure Committee. The Prime Minister last week had interviews with the Nawab of Bhopal, Mr. Gandhi, the Aga Khan, Sir Tej Sapru and other leaders. Late last night representations were made to the Prime Minister and Mr. Baldwin "bv a delegation representative of the Conservative India Committee in Parliament. "End the preposterous India Conference," demands the Daily Mail, in appealing to Mr. Mac Donald to ceaso trying to reconcile India's quarrelling sects and to revise his whole attitude toward India "in accordance with the wishes of the great majority of level-headed, patriotic Britons who will not tolerate a renunciation of our position in India." The Daily Mail declares that the fruitless discussions at the conference will only keep India in a constant state of agitation and may at any time cause a disastrous development which will shake the Empire.

DIVISION IN CABINET. HOSTILITY OF CONSERVATIVES. (Received November 23, 12.25 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 22. It is understood that the Indian discussions during the last few days have reached a very delicate stage, even' within the Cabinet itself. Mr. Mac Donald's idea of granting provincial autonomy immediately, with a pledge later of responsibility at the centre, aroused the hostility of the " diehard " Conservatives, among whom Mr. Winston Churchill is the most active. The views of this section have percolated through the Cabinet, leading Mr. Mac Donald on Friday to hint that any departure from the former declarations would invblve the question of his continuance and that of Lord Sankey in the Government. ' It is also understood that Sir Tej Sapru and other Indians have indicated that the withholding of the prospect of ultimate responsibility from the centre would destroy the chances of federation.