The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1924. THE OUTLOOK IN INDIA.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 21 November 1924, Page 8

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1924. THE OUTLOOK IN INDIA.

Very little news has come from India since Lord BirkiMiltead put his strong hand to the tiller 01 the Indian Otl'ice, but. just before the general election last month oxliemt-ly disquieting' reports concerning the situation, move particularly in Bengal, were being' received by the India Olireo and other Anglo-Indian circles in London. Before Mr Baldwin’s splendid victory lui political stability, it was being said in the bazaars of India that the Labour Government would not intervene to help, the Indian Government maintain the Constu lution. The. extremist press, misinterpreting the silence at Whitehall, openly declared that Lord Oliver (Labour Secretary of State for India) was tlieir friend ana that their enemies were scheming to eject, him from office, dipt before the defeat of Mr Macdonald’s Administration tbo Anglo-Indian correspondent of “Tlie Daily News” wrote;

U lido lucre is reason to believe that Lord Olivier’s retention of the Secretaryship does not meet with the unqualiued approval of Delhi, this is almost wholly due to Ids failure to utter a plain warning to the revolutionaries, who, at this moment, are meeting in the bazaars of Calcutta, openly inciting the mob, and distributing leaflets labelled “Red Bengal.” What chiefly disturbs circles in London actively associated with India is the rapidly growing belief that the British Cabinet is without any fixed Indian policy. The most urgent requests for information meet with no response. Political quarters in India closely identified with De]hi hold that if there is no disagreement on policy as between Delhi and Whitehall, the

need to appeal to force may not arise. But Whitehall must move now. Whitehall did not move, but tjio electors of Britain grasped the unique opportunity a general election gave them, to overthrow an Administration which desired friendly relations with the Iteds of Moscow, rather than the cooperation of the peoples of the far-flung Empire. Wliat has Whitehall done for India? Britain has given India a poweiv ful and efficient Government which has suppressed racial and religious warfare and organised this vast continent in a manner almost miraculous. Administrative areas have been formed, a great judicial system lias been set up, communications have been improved by the construction oi roads and thirty-six thousand miles of railways, there is, »•!! efficient, and far-reaching 1 postal system, huge irrigation works have been carried out, agriculture has been improved, industries have been created, mines and on wells have, been sunk, primary and secondary schools, universities, and medical colleges have beer established, although as yet. only six per cent, of the population can read and write, tropical diseases have beep by. ibe discoveries of British scientists, and the action of the medical department, Indian customs, repugnant to humane ideas, have been abolished, 25,U(JU cooperative societies have been formed, the land system has been modernised and simplified, and an equitable system ol tmance and taxation established. Llistory relates no greater triumph ot government or organisation. Eood and pestilence are India's practical problems, and although. m many respects Eastern civilisation may equal that of the West, there can be no doubt that Britis*. rule has conferred untold benefits upon India by increasing productivity and stamping out disease, In Ins power!ul contribution to contemporary Indian history, “India: a Bird’s Eye View,” Lord lionaldsliay lias rendered distinguished service by this useful and timely corrective iff hazy ideas. Let us look through liis eyes at the peaceful side <i British achievement. To quo to Lord lionaldsliay: Whitt we actually exercise control over is, a continent the .size ot all Europe, excluding only Russia, with a population of ti2o million people. Rather less than two-fifths of thL area, and rather less than one-lourth of tlie total population, is administered and governed under British suzerainty by the rulers oi 701.' di tie rent native States ; the remainder is administered directly by us. And the whole of this vast machine!'., necessary for this stupendous task L directed, controlled, and kept in motion by a body of officials ol an kinds—civilians, judges, engineers, doctors, educationists, forest office's and so on, ol whom the number el Englishmen iias at all times been less than 5000.

Lord Me t.so n, (he well-known Anglo-Indian, in his introduction to Air Uvvynn’s “‘imlian polities says we aie faced with tlu; necessity for making; the most momentous decision we have' ever had to take in India, a decision which cannot Le i.-ostjamed, and lor which everyone in Britain must share responsibility. He points out that three courses are open—(l) to suppress agitation by force, (L 1o give India Home Itulc and let. her take the conse<.|uences, and (-»d stick to our plan of training India- in democracy until she gains reasonable experience'. Since, this is the pioblem facing Mr Baldwin’s Administration, we can readily appreciate the reason prompting the appointment of a eourag-eous stat(‘small of the calibre of Lord Birkenhead as .Ministerial bead of Hie Lidia Office. Unquestionably representative government is desirable for India, but such :v far-reaching inform must be gradually applied, since the great mass of the Indians themselves have yet to learn the art of responsible governmeut.