NAZI CRIMES DENOUNCED

Southland Times, Issue 24001, 16 December 1939, Page 7

NAZI CRIMES DENOUNCED

Strong Feeling In India SUBSTANTIAL AID FOR ALLIES (British Official Wireless) (Received December 15, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, December 14. In a statement in the House of Lords the Secretary of State for India, the Marquess of Zetland, said that the Indian Princes and peoples continued to express their “detestation of the crimes perpetrated by Nazi Germany against all the laws of God and man,” and instanced the Viceroy’s fund, which totalled £475,000 and for which no appeal had been made. More examples were gifts from the Maharajah of Gondal and the Nawab of .Rampur, the former having allocated £7500 for the dependents of those lost on the Royal Oak and the latter having given £lOO,OOO for motor ambulances.

For the benefit of German propagandists who spent time explaining the plight of the Indian people, Lord Zetland said that he would like to add a single other example of generosity. “In one district in the Punjab with few wealthy people among the residents the Governor was recently handed a wholly unsolicited gift of £l7OO, all in currency notes, to aid in overthrowing Nazi Germany.” Neither was the assistance limited to money gifts. Among the martial races there had been a spontaneous and eager desire to enlist in the forces. Turning to the political field,. Lord Zetland regretted to say that difficulties persisted. While in the Punjab, Bengal and SincL_the Governments and the Legislature were successfully functioning and in Assam an alternative Government had accepted office, in seven other provinces which had Congress ministries the administration had been taken over by governors. Although the transition had been effected smoothly and, broadly speaking, the policies had been assented to by the legislatures before their representations were being carried out, the transfer was contrary to the desire of the British Government and put back the hands of the clock 30 years. MINORITIES’ VIEW Lord Zetland dealt with the latest Congress statement and said that the Government could not agree that no communal differences arose in the meeting concerning the Congress demands. He pointed out that no constitution could be expected to function successfully unless it met with the assent of the minorities. The main difficulty was still the differences of opinion between Congress and the Moslem League. Although this represented a numerical minority there were between 80,000,000 and 90,000,000 people affected. Lord Zetland appealed to the leaders of both sides to call a truce and said there was some little encouragement from the report that Pandit Jawahrlal Nehru and Mr Jirmah would arrange

another discussion which he hoped would cover a wide field. He said that internal difficulties did not lessen the abhorrence with which all Indian creeds and communities viewed the Nazi system. In conclusion Lord Zetland said that German propaganda suggested India should look to Nazi Germany for freedom. “The conception of Herr Hitler as ‘The Liberator’ is so grotesque as to bring a smile to the face of anyone except possibly a German. If Herr Hitler’s associates imagine they may look for aid from India they are heading for one of the greatest disillusionments of their lives.” i