INDIAN CONGRESS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22779, 13 July 1937, Page 9

INDIAN CONGRESS

ACCEPTANCE OP OFFICE LORD LOTHIAN'S OPINION IMMENSE IMPORTANCE By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received July 12, 6.5 p.m.) British Wireless BUG BY. July 11 The Marquess of Lothian, formerly Parliamentary Under-Secretary for India, in a speech at Ashbridge, discussed the subject of India. He said the decision of the working committee of the Congress Party to accept office and form Ministries was of importance not only to the British Commonwealth, but to the world. He took it to mean that the Congress had decided to achieve its objectives if possible by constitutional and democratic methods, and not by means which consciously or unconsciously led to revolution and violence. That did not mean that there would not ho difficulties ahead. There would bo difficulties because the present ideals

of the Congress were still profoundly different from those embodied in the Constitution. Lord Lothian said he hoped and believed that the responsibility for government would diminish and not widen those differences. But the fact that at this moment, when the democratic and totalitarian systems were competing for the allegiance of mankind, the Congress should have decided for the constitutional road to its goal was an immense gain to the democratic world.