INDIA'S FUTURE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23574, 7 February 1940, Page 12

INDIA'S FUTURE

. DOMINION STATUS BRITAIN'S GOOD FAITH • VICEROY AM) GANDIII IESfiiHY. discussion By TefegrapH—Tress't'A'ss'odiition—Copyright . f - NEW DELHI,_ Feb. 5 i W ;';r'NatiVnalist''; r 'NatiVnalist'' "leader, Mahatma? Ctaiidhi'; ! and tlie Viceroy, the'. M&rguess 'of • Binlithgow,' conferred '"privately to-day* for two and - .1 • '6«riffcl?6iicef fche following agree'd communique was issued.: "TKe position was exhaustively examined the •course of a prolonged and friendly discussion. Gandhi emphasised that .he had", no mandate from the Working l :Committee of the All-Iridia Congress and that he spoke, bnly ifor himself. ' ■ 'VEKe Viceroy detailed the intentions and■ proposals'' of 'the- British 1 Government iaid! emphasised its earnest desire that India 7 ,' should attain Dominion status at the 'earliest possible moment, and to "-facilitate the achievement •> of that object by all means in its power. The Viceroy added that the offer made last November could immediately be brought into effect. "Gandhi expressed the opinion that the proposals had not met the full demands of the Congress. Further discussion's were deferred:" -•

The' Marquess of Linlithgow reported early in November that he had made a declaration on behalf of the British Government on October 18. .."That declaration emphasised," he said, "firstly, that Dominion status remained the cojl for India; secondly, that the British Government was prepared to reconsider 'the scheme of the present Act at the end of the war in consultation with the leaders of opinion in India; thirdly, that the British Government attached importance to associating public opinion in India with the prosecution of the war, and that it contemplated ' the formation of_ a consultative group, details of which were to b<s settled after he had further consulted the party leaders."

FEDERAL SCHEME VICEROY'S ADVOCACY BEST , WAY TO OBJECTIVE British Wireless LONDON, Feb. 5 In the course of his conversation with Gandhi, the Viceroy of India drew attention to the. fact that the Federal scheme, while at • present in suspense, afforded the swiftest stepping Gtone toward' Dominion status, and that its adoption with the consent of all concerned would, facilitate the solution. of many of. the problems which had to be faced, - -

-Subject .to:the -consent of the parties affected," the British Government would beprepared to reopen the Federal scheme so as to expedite the achievement of Dominion status and facilitate a settlement, after the war, of. .the issues to which it gave rise.

Gandhi expressed his appreciation of the spirit in which these proposals were put. forward. He suggested, and the Viceroy agreed, that in the circumstances it would be preferable to defer further discussions with the object of seeking a solution of the difficulties which had arisen.