DOMINION STATUS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23487, 26 October 1939, Page 13

DOMINION STATUS

AGITATION IN INDIA CONGRESS PARTY'S PLANS NEW ZEALANDER'S IMPRESSIONS [by TELEGHAPII —I'll KSS association] WELLINGTON, Wednesday Tho significance of recent cabled news from India and the part still played in Indian politics by Ghandi were commented 011 by J)r. A. Bramwcll Cook, chief medical officer of the Finery Hospital, conducted by the Salvation Army at Annand, Bombay Presidency. Dr. Cook, formerly of Hastings, has arrived oil six months' furlough. Both lie and his wife arc captains in the Salvation Army. Dr. Cook i.s a former Waitaki College boy. As tribute to his work he was awarded the Kaiser-in-Hind Medal in 1935 by the Government of India. Dr. Cook stated that, of tho 11 Ministries in India, seven are controlled by the Congress Party. The prime mover behind its policy is Ghandi, who although not actually a member of the Congress Party maintains his grip and is the final referee of every matter. The party is agitating for complete Dominion status, Ghandi's principle is ahisma, or nonviolence, Dr. Cook said, and as the followers of Ghandi could not conscientiously engage in war the position now was that they wanted to bargain and get a promise of full Dominion status if they co-operated in the war. Because the Viceroy and the Secretary for India had not made a definite promise of full Dominion status, they were holding out the threat of resigning. If they did tho Viceroy would have to resort to minority rule. It was a tremendous question. The Princes were wholeheartedly in support of the British Empire, because their authority was maintained by the British Government. Unrest was almost wholly confined to British India and did not greatly affect the States. Dr. Cook said that Ghandi was not an extremist. Chandrah Bose was one of the leaders of tho extremists, and was going through India asking his supporters to issue an ultimatum to Britain 011 the question of Dominion status. Ghandi, however, was agitating for what ho wanted by constitutional means.