THE INDIAN POLICY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21994, 1 July 1933, Page 11

THE INDIAN POLICY

DEFENDED BY MR BALDWIN CONSERVATIVES DIVIDED (United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, June 30. (Received June 30, at 10 p.m.) Mr Stanley Baldwin, speaking at Manchester, said that the Conservative opposition to the self-government of Canada and South Africa proved to be wrong. The Government’s proposals would save India for the Empire, but we could not dictate -what and where she should buy. Force could not break a national boycott. Lancashire and India were arriving at a friendly agreement. The National Government’s India policy has been the greatest test to which its unity has yet been subjected. When the White Paper was brought down the opposition of the Diehard group, headed by Mr Winston Churchill, Lord Lloyd and Sir Henry Page-Croft, was particularly bitter, and their criticism was not moderated by the Government’s decision to submit its proposals to a joint select committee instead of putting them immediately into operation. The Diehard leaders mustered a considerable following among Conservatives in Parliament and in the party branches throughout the country. An organisation with similar views to theirs circularised many electors, enclosing specimen letters which, it was suggested, they should use as models when writing to their members to protest against the Government’s “betrayal* policy in India. Mr Churchill originally emphasised the lack of safeguards under the proposed new system for the Govern ment of India, but lately he appears to have shown nlore concern for the fate of the Indian peasants if the proposal? are adopted. Members of the Diehard block refused to serve on the select committee, saying that if they did their freedom to criticise the proposals in public would be lost; and they have consequently been loud in their protests against an article written by one of the members of the committee and published since the committee’s appointment. The bitterness of the campaign they are waging may be judged from the fact that the select committee is generally referred to by the Morning Post, which shares their views, as the Government’s “ yes-men.” A recent development is the formation of an association, the members of which are mainly men with recent experience of India, which favours the Government’s proposals, and which is combating the Diehard propaganda.