SIR S. CRIPPS’ VISIT

Waikato Times, Volume 130, Issue 21687, 25 March 1942, Page 3

SIR S. CRIPPS’ VISIT

MEETING WITH LEADERS ATTITUDE OF MOSLEMS (Official Wireless) (Received March 25, 11.30 a.m.) RUGBY, March 24 A message from New Delhi states that Sir Stafford Cripps attended a meeting of the Viceroy’s Executive Council yesterday, saw General Sir Archibald Wavell in the evening and met the Governors of Madras, Bombay and Bengal today. Replying to questions Sir Stafford said: “I do not think we should talk about a round-table conference. No real changes can be made in the War Cabinet’s conclusions, but any small adjustments which the revealed to be necessary would be made.” Explaining the word “final” in Mr Churchill’s statement, Sir Stafford said it meant that the War Cabinet had arrived at a scheme which it knew no way of bettering. “I should be too hopeful,” he added, “if I expected a 100 per cent acceptance.” Mr Jinnah, president of the Moslem League, declared: “We want to live as a free nation. We are not a minority community. We are a nation. We do not want to embarrass the British Government because we know the real situation, but I have never accepted the principle that we can live under any foreign Government. We will resist to the death the enforcement of any scheme detrimental to the Moslems.” The president of Congress, Abul Kalam Azad, met the Premier of the Punjab, Major Sir Sikander HyatKhan, at Lahore and discussed with him the prospects of a settlement between Congress and the Moslem League. Many Moslems are dissociating themselves from the extreme demands of Mr Jinnah.