CONGRESS LEADERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21544, 16 January 1932, Page 11

CONGRESS LEADERS

SENTENCES IMPOSED TERMS OF IMPRISONMENT (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) CALCUTTA, January 14. Congress leaders and followers ih all the provinces were sentenced to varying terras of imprisonment for breaches of the emergency laWs. The police raided the Congress headquarters in many centres, arrested the occupants, took possession of the buildings, removed the Congress flags, and hoisted the Union Jack. The vigorous Government measures resulted in a partial cessation of the Congress campaign of picketing and boycotting shops, the Indians selling British goods. THE FUTURE OF INDIA. NEW CHAPTER IN CO-OPERATION. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, January 14. (Received Jan. 15, at 5.5 p.m.) The prompt continuation of the work of the Indian Round Table Conference, which was marked to-day by the departure of the British delegates and the announcement of the personnel of the Consultative Committee, is warmly welcomed in the press. The Prime Minister (Mr Ramsay MacDonald), Mr Stanley Baldwin, and many other members of the Cabinet were among the large number of wellw’shers who assembled at Victoria to-day lo witness the departure of the members of the three committees. Sir Samuel Hoare said that the committees were being sent to begin a new chapter in co-operation at a time when severe administrative measures were being enforced in India, but without law and order there could be no constitutional advance. Faced with the situation that had arisen the Governmer.t had taken the only possible action and had taken it drastically. By so doing he believed that the time those emergency operations would remain in existence would be shorter than if it had acted in gradual stages. So far the result had been successful. In the north-west frontier, for instance, law and order were being maintained on the whole remarkably well, and many who had joined the Red Shirt movement had now given up the Red Shirts and admitted that the movement was a mistake. In the united provinces, where attempts had been made to start a revolution with a no-rent programme, rents were coming in better than for many months In Bengal there was reviving confidence in trade and industry. Nevertheless the Government did not wish to maintain the emergency regulations a day longer than was necessary. For the moment the battle had been turned upon the Government and it was bound to accept it, but he regarded such methods as out of date. The’ Government wanted internal as well as international peace and would be delighted . when the time came for goodwill and co-opeDation and when there would be no empty chairs at anj future Round Table Conference.

AIM OF CONGRESS. COUNTRY’S BANKRUPTCY. CALCUTTA, January 6. Commenting on the situation in India the Calcutta Statesman says it is curious that Mr Gandhi, who professes the golden rule of the New Testament, should advocate the starvation of thoke who do not agree with him. “ What is of more importance to India is that in an economic crisis of unparalled magnitude, when the country is facing enormous difficulties and the maintenance of its credit is absoolutely vital, a group of Indians should seek to bankrupt the country by preaching not merely the withholding of taxes, but the boycotting of the revenue in every possible form. “ Congress is trying to wreck, if possible, the carefully-laid plans for the All-India Federation for the sake of terrorists, who are disgracing the country’s name. “It is for gunmen that Congress has rejected the path of constitutional freedom. MR GANDHI’S PARTS VISIT. CHARGE AGAINST HOSTESS. LONDON, January 6. Mr Gandhi, the toothless, impeccable Mahatma, has been involved in a charge of “tapage nocturne” (in plain English, rowdiness by night), brought by Paris neighbours against his hostess, Madame Guiesa, for the conduct in her house when the “ hope of India ” was entertained there. The suing neighbours have no interest in Indian politics, but in their claim for 1000 francs damages they say that the noise when Mr Gandhi arrived spoilt their sleep. The affidavit states that Mr Gandhi arrived at 11 p.m., and that for the next four hours the din was enough to wake the dead. Mr Gandhi’s pronouncements brought forth a clamour of applause and this was added to when talkie arrangements were carried out. The clatter, it is stated, continued until 7 o’clock in the morning.