lie Man-Problem

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19430, 3 December 1934, Page 7

lie Man-Problem

CHANGED SITUATION.

REPORT OF SIMON COMMISSION.

EXPLANATION -BY CHAIRMAN

FEDERATION THE IDEAL

(onjcal Wireless.) ('Received Dec. 3, 12.45 p.m.)

RUGBY, Dec. 2

Sir John Simon (Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs), -referred to the joint committee’s report on India in relation to the report of the Simon Commission,, -of which he was chairman, in a -speech at Dumfries. He stated it ha-s been said- the Simon ■report recommended a system of responsible 'Government .subject to -certain overriding control in each -of the -nine provinces of India, but it- did not recommend responsibility at the centre. “That was not a complete nor wholly aocurato statement,” said Sir John.

“It -must be remembered- the area of inquiry prescribed for the -statutory commission wast British India .alone,’’ •commented the Minister. “The •Indian States were excluded from our -direct perview- When we began Lo grasp the true dimensions of Hie Indian problem we became -convinced -that the ultimate scheme must be one which took into account future relationships between the two constituent parts—greater India, British India and the Indian States.

“There is only one India and it Is greater India, which includes the Indian States as well as the British provinces.

“The report of. 'the joint select committee recommended a -federation including both the Indian States aiid British provinces. The poin-t -at which there was a difference between their views was expressed four years ago, and the .view of the joint committee was that when they wrote the Simon report it appeared- very improbable, for a considerable time to come, that the Indian Princ-es and the Indian States would be prepared to come into a federation with British India.

"We regarded federation as a distant Ideal. We thought If provincial autonomy could be established In the first place this would contribute some dtay to the possibility of a Federal India.

“But since we reported there lias been a new fact, and it was not till after we had reported that that new fact emerged. “In January, 1931, a great Indian prince, who was Chancellor in the Chamber of -Princes, speaking not only for himself but for a large body of princes whom he had consulted decfared that the Indian princes were already prepared for federation, hut that they could- not federate with British India unless constitutional changes were made at the centie such as the joint committee have now recommended.”

Sir John Simon declared that the broad scheme of the joint committee should be supported.