PROTEST BY INDIAN PRINCES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20064, 22 March 1935, Page 9

PROTEST BY INDIAN PRINCES

EFFECT OF PROPOSED PROGRAMME I WEIGHTY REPLY BY MINISTER British Official Wireless RUGBY, March 20. The attitude of the Indian Princes toward the Government’s 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 the Secretary of State for India (Sir Swmuel Hoare) thereon were set out. Formidable as those criticisms might look at first sight, said Sir Samuel, they were, he 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 the 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 the 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. Regarding misunderstandings on the question of paramountcy, the Minister pointed out, It was not the case that the Bill could not be proceeded with until the Princes’ claims on this subject had been settled. The Itrinces 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 interests—British Indian, those of the Indian States, and those of Great Britain and the Empire. The Princes always claimed that they could give no final answer as to 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 the normal way in India. It affected all the Princes, whether they federated or not, and whether the Bill was passed or not. But if British India was ever to achieve its full status in the British Empire an AllIndia Federation was essential to an Indian India, with the Princes for all time having that share in the Government of the continent to which they were entitled. He believed the differences at issue could be honourably adjusted in full harmony with the interests of both sides.