FORMER VICEROY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21757, 23 March 1934, Page 9

FORMER VICEROY

INDIA'S GREAT REGARD STATUE AND PORTRAIT UNVEILING IN NEW DELHI ' LORD WILLINGDON'S TRIBUTE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received March 22, 10.55 p.m.) CALCUTTA, March 23 India's great regard for the ex-Vice-roy, Lord Irwin, found expression in New Delhi yesterday. The present Viceroy, the Earl of Willingdon, simultaneously unveiled a statue of Lord Irwin in the grounds of the Central Legislature and a portrait in the library. Lord Willingdon said that Lord Irwin was a great'public servant,: whose sincerity of purpose, simplicity of life and liberalism of ideas had endeared him to the hearts of Europeans' and Indians alike. i£' ' ' • Edward Frederick Lindlcy Wood, Lord Irwin, ex-Viceroy of India, who at present is President of the British Board of Education, was born in April, 1881, his father being Viscount Halifax, a well-known High Churchman. He was educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, where he became a Fellow of All Souls. He served in the Army during the war. Entering the House of Commons in 1910, he was in 1921 appointed Under-Secretary for the Colonies by Mr. Bonar Law, and in 1922 became President of the Board of Education. In November, 1924, he

was given the portfolio of Agriculture in the Baldwin Cabinet. On October 30, 1925, his appointment to succeed Lord Reading as Viceroy of India was announced, and he was raised to the peerage. . , , . •Lord Irwin took a prominent part in arranging the India Round-Table Conference, and in -the with the Congress leader, Gandhi. He issued ordinances making picketing, refusal to' pay taxes and tampering with the loyalty of Government servants penal offences. At the same time he expressed his fervent hope that the Round-Tablo Conference would- lead to a settlement and appealed to the advocates of violence to realise that they were postponing the very things they_ desired. His term as Viceroy expired in April, 1931, when he was succeeded by Lord Willingdon, Governor-General of Canada. He left India amid warm tributes from all sides,, after the most difficult and most successful Viceroyalty of the century. It was declared that his tact and friendliness had saved. India for the Empire. Though he went further in conciliating Indian sentiment than any other .Viceroy, he stood firm on essentials.

BETTER SITUATION CENTRES OF TERRORISM • TROOPS' CONDUCT DEFENDED (Received March. 22, 10.55 p.m.) CALCUTTA, March 23 "The presence of two brigades of British and Indian troops in Midnapore and Chittagong, notorious terrorist areas in Bengal, has in the restoration of public confidence, and the situation recently has enormously improved," said Sir Harry Haig, Home Member, speaking in the Central Legislature, New Delhi. •-'* , Sir Harry indignantly repudiated grave charges oc excesses and harsh conduct by troops against the population in the affected areas. He said the Bengal Government had found that the allegations generally were, greatly exaggerated, or without foundation.