VICEROY OF INDIA /

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21146, 2 October 1930, Page 9

VICEROY OF INDIA /

TERM OF OFFICE EXPIRING, GUEST AT A BANQUET. (United Press Association.) (By ’Electric Telegraph— Copyright.) DELHI, October 1. (Received Oct. 1, at 8 p.m.) Speaking at a banquet given at Simla by members and Ministers of the Punjab Government to bid farewdl to Lord Irwin, whose term of office expires in March next, the yiceroy declared that the refusal of, Congress to- go to the round table conference betrayed a tragic lack of foresight and a bankruptcy of statesmanship. By its Blank refusal to face facts the Congress had assumed a heavy responsibility, for which history would assuredly not hold it guiltless. Congress had done great economic harm to the country, and had on the civic side inflicted irreparable harm by inculcating a spirit of defiance. The Viceroy referred to the suggestion that peace might have been restored if he had giyen a private assurance on the constitutional issue, and he. remarked that secret diplomacy of this kind, “ to buy off the civil disobedience movement,” would never appeal to him.