POLICY IN INDIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20906, 21 December 1929, Page 13

POLICY IN INDIA

DOMINION STATUS THE GOAL

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY.

(British Official Wireless.) (doited Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.)

RUGBY, December 18.

The Secretary for India (Captain Wedgwood Bean), during ’ debate in the House of Commons last night, reiterated that the goal of British policy was the achievement by India of dominion status. He pointed out that India was already acquiring at a growing rate the attributes of that status. He recalled several recent occasions on which an Indian representative had . attended international conferences and had received a separate vote in the same way as the representatives of other dominions. He pointed out that a special Indian delegation at-, tended the recent conference on dominionlegislation, and would so attend the coming Five-Power Naval Conference. The Government desired the prospective roundtable conference, to be summoned after the presentation of the /Simon Report, to be fully representative of the political opinion in India, and that it should be called at the earliest possible moment. ' The conference wonld meet with A freehand, so that, every section of opinion would be able to come forward and express itself.. The conference Teas not intended to be merely a sop to Indian opinion, and he hoped that when the time come £br the conference it would be found possible for the Indians to compose their differences so that the Government'would get a maximum of assistance and guidance in this matter. They,were entering upon a new era. They were attempting to. write What might be the greatest, chapter in the history ' of the British Commonwealth —namely, the free and voluntary association of a self-respecting nation in partnership with the British Commonwealth. ‘