PRINCES’ ATTITUDE

Taranaki Daily News, 22 March 1935, Page 5

PRINCES’ ATTITUDE

INDIA GOVERNMENT BILL DISCUSSION IN COMMONS HOPES OF ADJUSTMENT TWO POINTS DIFFICULT British Wireless. Rugby, March 20. The attitude of the Indian Princes towards the Government of India Bill was discussed in the House of Commons in the light of the White Paper published on Tuesday last in which the criticisms of the Princes and the comments of Sir Samuel Hoare, Secretary for India, thereon were set out. Formidable as those criticisms might look at first sight, said Sir Samuel, they were to be believed adjustable, and in support of this he cited the opinion expressed in correspondence by the Princes themselves that “it is still not beyond the sphere of statesmanship to adjust our differences in such a manner as would lead to a satisfactory and desired result.”

The documents reproduced in the White Paper showed that there were about 30 points upon which the Princes felt doubt. About one-third were due simply to misunderstanding. Of the other two-thirds the great majority were either points' where the drafting could be readjusted without any sacrifice of any substantial principle in the Bill. All except two points ought to be capable of comparatively easy adjustment. He had always admitted that the accession of Princes into the federation was difficult’ and complicated. His advisers, however, had been in close consultation with the legal advisers of the Indian States. The latter, of course, could not bind the Princes in any way, but the views of both parties had been discussed in detail and the discussion had not revealed any differences which appeared to be incapable of adjustment. CLAIM TO PARAMOUNTCY. Regarding misunderstandings on the question of paramountcy, it was not a case that the Bill could not be proceeded with until the Princes’ claims on this subject were settled. The Princes were not being asked there and now to accede. Parliament was passing the best Bill it could and was taking Into account as fully as possible all the various inter-ests—British-Indian, those of the Indian States and those of Britain and the Empire. ‘ . The Princes had always claimed that they could give no final answer upon their accession until the Bill was on the Statute Book. If they acceded there would be a federation; if not there would be no federation. So far from worsening the Princes’ position in regard to paramountcy, however, the Bill would make it better; but that question was one that must be dealt with in a normal way. In India it affected aJJ Princes, whether they were federated or not, and whether the Bill was passed or not. But if British India were ever to achieve its full status in the British Empire an allIndia federation was essential to IndianIndia, with the Princes for all time having that share in the government of the continent to which they were entitled.

He believed that the differences at issue could be honourably adjusted in full harmony with the interests on both sides.