INDIAN CONFERENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 450, 16 December 1930, Page 8

INDIAN CONFERENCE

HINDU-MOSLEM DISPUTE NO SETTLEMENT REACHED. [By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright.] LONDON, Dec. 14. After the visit of the Hindu and Moslem delegates to the Indian RoundTable Conference to Chequers to discuss matters concerning the Conference with Air Mac Do- ' 1, the Rajar of Narendra Nath (Hindu) issued a statement paying a tribute to Mr MacDonald’s activities. He declared that the conversation had been friendly, but no settlement had been reached and no further meetings arranged. “The Prime Minister’s function as conciliator seems to have ceased. I do not see a prospect of a settlement.” Sir Sultan Ahmed (Moslem) said: “it is deplorable that the outstanding problem is not settled, especially as the main difference is Moslem representation in the Punjab, which deos not seem sufficiently serious to justify a complete breakdown of negotiations.”

A SCORCHING REPLY

MR. MACDONALD SPEAKS OUT. [ British Official "Wireless, j RUGBY', Dec. 13. Mr Winston Churchill’s recent speech on India produced a strong reproof from the Minister and a vigorous disclaimer from the Times that his views in any way represent the Conservative policy. The Times says that the chosen representatives of all three British political parties are working night and day. Working, it may be hoped, not as partisans, but as a team and with some hopes of success to reach a basis of understanding with representatives of India for a solution of the most difficult and dangerous situation which confronts the British Empire. Mr Churchill “may fairly claim that his speech is matched by corresponding efforts in India to spread distrust in the conference of delegates of the possibilities of an honourable settlement, but he is no more representative of the Conservative Party than the assassin at Calcutta represent the Indians assembled at the round table, and his speech will have just as little influence upon British policy towards India.”

The Prime Minister referred to Mr Churchill’s speech at a public meeting at Reading last night. He said that the Indian delegates had come to discuss with them ways and means to further political evolution. The Viceroy, who was one of the greatest India ever had, was supporting this movement as a maker of wisdom and not as a politician.

The Prime Minister continued: “The Viceroy, who controls the situation, is not a Labour man or a Liberal, but is a Tory. There is no political party principle involved in this, and at this moment when the Conference, on which Mussulman, Hindu, Sikh, the depressed class in India, Christians, and British commercial representatives are all sitting around tables stating their cases and exchanging their views. Air Churchilly selects this moment to make a speech which is mischievous from beginning to end. without any constructive idea or proposal in it, expressive of nothing except the antiquated relationship between Imperial authority and the people who come in under its sway, blind to every modern movement in politics, stiff-necked regarding the handling of people whom we ourselves have enlightened in political affairs and aspirations. How Congress, how the elements in India, who wish this conference to fail, how the elements in India who have been finding during the last four or five weeks that the handling of the Conference has been so good that they are ceasing to have the driving power of lawlessness —how to-day they must have blessed Mr Churchill for giving them the opportunity . of rousing up prejudices in India against British law.

In a. speech to the Indian Empire Society on Friday, Mr Winston Churchill protested against the unwarrantable change in the estimation of the facts in the Indian problem, which, he declared. had not changed. He stated that the truth was that Ghandihism soonor or later would have to be grappled with, and finally crushed. It was no use trying to satisfy the tiger by feeding him with cat’s meat.