The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-07-10
INDIA FAMINE FAKERS


airy Hume, Praising the Govern
ment's System, Which He Explains,
Urges That Gifts Be Not Made to IT.
responsible Persons.
(From the Chicago Times Herald)
Ahmeduagar, India, April 22.-To the
Editor: The leading Indian newspa-
pers are now having such paragraphs
as the following:
Some of our readers may remember
the name of a certain Mr.. Dharnlapala,
who a couple Of years ago came to
loggerheads with the mahant OF the
Mahabodhi Temple at Buch Gaya and
got very much the worst of 1t in the
courts. Mr. Dharmapala was honorary
general secretary of the Mahabodht So
ciety, which was founded in Ceylon in
1891, under the presidency of Colonel
Olcott with the express object of es-
tablishing Buddhist monastery at the
Gaya Temple. AS it turned out, the
Calcutta high court decided that the
methods of Mr.. Dharmapala could not
be countenanced by the law, and the
gentleman came out of the business
with no great credit; all three courts
in which the case was tried concurring
in questioning both his bona fides and
"his general veracity," to quote Mr..
Justice Macpherson's phrase. This
man. as we find from some Chicago
papers received by the last mail, has
now returned to the United States
(where he attended the parliament OF
religions few years ago. "for the pur-
pose of giving America longer oppor-
tunity of studying the tenets" Of Budd-
hism.
Dharmapala's Authority Attacked.
with this particular crusade we have
nothing to do, but it Is also stated that
Mr.. Dharmapala sis seeking gifts from
the beneffcient to pay the expenses of
frwarding to the seaboard corn which
has been promised him in Iowa,
through the favor of Governor Drake
Of that state. who has appointed COM
rnittee from the Des Moines legislature
to- promote the matter" 1t need hardly
be said that Mr.. Dharmapala has no
authority whatever from anybody in
India to act in this matter, and we may
hope that any response the philanthrop-
ic Americans may give to his 1mpas-
Stoned appeals on behalf of famine
stricken India will be made direct to
the central committee at Calcutta. We
had the curiosity to read speech made
by ME-. Dharmapala before the Iowa
legislature, and we find him denouncing
the English In India as "the most ra-
pacious taxgatherers on the face of the
EARTH" while, to quote the Chicago re-
porter, This nasals grew strident with
wrath" over "the wicked perversion Of
the sacred famine rescue fund" and
over the dumb millions in India tram
yf1h vi 10
with much more in similar strain. It
will be seen that Mr. Dharmapala has
not improved since Justice Macpherson
had to remark on his lack of general
yeracity," bait there Is no saying how
this sort of thing will go down in the
States.
British Government Defended.
I feel impelled to make statement.
through you, in view Of this paragraph.
I am am American missionary Of the
American board. Boston, and have
worked in India for nearly twenty
three years.
I cannot speak from personal knowl-
edge Of Mr.. Dharmapala, but I have
known of several Indians who have
gone to America and made most I'M
worthy and untrue statements about
the government Of India, and of some
who have collected money for nomi-
nally philanthropic objects IN India, but
who have never rendered any adequate
statement of receipts and expenditures
about such moneys. Many Of the best
people of this country, European and
Indian, and Americans resident here,
have had occasion to feel mortified at
the gullibility of many Americans who
readily swallow the most unreliable
statements of many Indians.
Every year I appreciate more and
more the excellence of the British gov
eminent of India. Considering the con-
dition Of the country as whole, ii
seems to me the best government on
the face of the earth to-day. 1t is a
strong government, knowing its own
mind, steadily keeping to one great pur-
pose and keeping the peace among
races and minor governments. which
would otherwise be at war with one
another. It is just government
which has introduced a wise code Of
laws applicable to every individual, and
by which It's Officials can be brought tc
trial Il they disregard the laws It Is a
progressive government, constantly
pushing forward educational, sanitary
moral and commercial interests in g
way which no other government would
or could do It Is properly conserva-
tive government, not going too fast
recognizing the necessity Of going mod
erately in a land where custom is the
main force in mind, morals and bust.
ness.
If Americans were at the helm in India
we should make more mistakes and i'm.
peril solid progress by going too fast.
Two Chief Weak Points.
The two weak points In the govern
ment seem to me to be % that a con.
siderable part Of the administration i:
too bureaucratic and deficient In sym
pathy, and (2) that it is an expensive
government. Both of these defect.
naturally inhere In any foreign govern
nent, and both are at the heart O.
most legitimate criticisms on the gov
eminent Nevertheless the disadvan
tages to India from the British rule art
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Mcazz1M1