Evening star., 1908-01-26
ENGLAND'S ASIATIC DIFFICULTIES.

England is much disturbed by the con-
tinued unrest in India, by the revolt OF
Asiatic coolies in South
Three Africa and by the immigra-
ton problem in Vancou-
irouoles. yer.
TIL. Indian national congress. which as
senlbled in Surat on the 26th of December
was hailed by the populace with wild man.
ifestations of Joy. The congress was
opened in a pavilion containing l.oO
souls. including 1000 native delegates
a choir of Indian maidens singing amid
great applause the "Bande Mataram.
The chairman of the reception commit
tee welcomed the delegates and reviewed
the history Of the congress. which he said
hal done much to fulfill the expectations
of its founders The speaker in conclu-
sion urged the Solicy of moderation and
loyalty by which certain results had been
achieved. This allusion to moderation
and loyalty was the touchStone which
provoked hostile n,urnlurs and Interrupt
tions from the radical element of the con-
gress When Mr.. Dewan Bahadur Sha-
karial proposed the election of DR.. b har
Chose az president. and Mr.. Surendranate
Bannerjee attempted to second the mo
ton. there was an uproar which led te
an adiournm mt
On the following day in the congress
Mr.. Bannerjee arose to second the reso-
luction to elect DR.. Chose. Mr.. Tilak. ex-
tremist delegate from Poona mounted the
moderates, who requested him to retire
Whereupon there were ten minutes of tu-
mutt that would have done honor to the
most advanced civilized congresses.
X *
The Morning Post of December %, com.
menting upon this phase Of Asiatic agita-
ton, writes: 1T is good
London thing that India is gov
erned. under supervision OF
comment. Mr.. Morley, by the viceroy
In council, and not by the Indian national
congress- The foredoomed fate of revolu-
tionary assemblies Is the extreme and
noisy element who shout down those who
cannot keep pace with them and who re-
tain a certain self-respect and intellectual
control
The Morning Post proceeds to discuss
the question and explain its Specification. q
question in which there are racial preju-
dices as well as grave errors committed ir
the education of these Indian subjects
The constitution of India. it says. is not
for elf-government at all, but the gov
ernment of a viceroy in council subject
to the decision of the secretary of state
for India and member of the British
cabinet, who is actually Mr.. John Morley
The proposition, therefore. of Mr.. Laipa'
Raj and the extremists in the national In
dian congress to substitute se.f-govern-
ment or any other form of government
than that existing is purely and simply
revolution.
1t is a curious lesson in metaphysics to
follow the reasoning of the Post, which
says: 1.-The best constitution was thought
TO be that which puts the government into
the hands of those most capable of gov
erring well. In India repres sentative gov
ernment arranged in the form of democ-
racy is hardly conceivable. 1t would be al
the mercy of a Hindu organization until
that was overthrown by a combination OF
Mussulmen. It could not subsist Ions
without an appeal from one side or the
other to some external power for military
Intervention, Which would be followed by
new conquest. Meantime Mr.. Morley
has laid down as his own judgment ir
which his countrymen concur that for the
duration of any future that can be taken
into consideration India has to be gov.
erhed under British authority"
y
What the Post says must be taken as
the predominating feeling in England. in.
cluding as well the liberia
Dominant feeling which is RESPONSE
BILE sAor setting up ideals
ScneAAnen1' which are thus rudely
thrown down and disavowed. The Indian
people are not to be classed among OF
treated as inferior colored races. The
proud Aryan, whose intellectual capacity
ir od n he
consideration of the European, that of q
common ancestry. But it is to be con-
fessed that there has been a falling off ir
racial superiority and that the Indian has
deprecated by miscegenation. and that the
coolie class has little or nothing in com
mon with the ancient Aryan. With this
understanding, we are told very plainly
by the Post that the recent troub es ir
India are admittedly the consequence o1
bad system of education.
The Indiarf government fifty or sixty
years ago imported from England into
India a system of education intended for
Englishmen, and consequently almost en-
tirely irrelative to Indian life and re-
ligion. 1t was logical thus that the sys-
tenn should produce just such results that
are being manifested at this moment in
Surat. And the Post adds:
1.-The question of education, especially
university education, in India goes to the
root Of all the recent political troubles
and If Mr.. Morley would take the pains
to ascertain the views of the Englishmen
who have spent their lives in this work
in India he would not be long DOUBTFUL
as to the course which ought. for the
future to be adopted.
Unfortunately a spirit of revolution Is
rampant In Surat which threatens to ex-
tend to all India. This revolution, in
deed, includes among It's grievances
against the imperial government the ap-
plication of the Transvaal immigration
restriction act to British Indians.
An emergency meeting of the members
of parliament was held in London or
the 10th instant to con.
Transvaal slider the drastic applica-
ton of the Transvaal i'm
1rooieM' migration restriction act,
by which British Indians lawfully resi-
dent In the Transvaal were summarily
arrested. fined or deported by his majes-
tvs government.
The chairman Of the meeting said
..Granting the right of restriction, he
would go further and say that the neces-
sity Of asserting that right was not mere
ly a local necessity incumbent upon the
Transyaal government, it was European
necessity that South Africa should be
nreseryed as white mans country-a
place for the overflow of the crowded
population of Europe. The Indians them
selves did not for moment dispute this
right of the colonies.
II appears that the original policy was
10 prevent further immigration Of Asiatie
coolies without persecution of those al
ready resident in the colony. but owing
to the persistent ingenuity of the Indian
,oolie in the art of personation II was
found impossible to prevent Indians in
Natal from f1ocking over the invisibie
boundary until their compatriots in the
Transyaal had been registered by some