The National tribune., 1909-04-08
BRITISH RULE IN INDIA.
1t Has Brought Unnumbered blessings
TO the Hindus.


Editor National Tribune: Many things
here in Indiana are very interesting and
afford subjects for profitable study and in
yestigation. The globe-trotter who passes
hurrledly thru this ancient country can
hardly get correct impression of either
men or things A sojourn of months, or,
better still, years among the Hindus is
necessary to really know them or their
land. Those not understanding the politi-
cal situation are apt to think that Eng
land should turn over the Government TO
the natives. A few months residence in
India, however, would convince anyone of
the disastrous consequences of such
policy. If India contained but one tribe,
and that tribe was educated in the prin-
ciples of self-government, united, and civ
ilized, the thing might be done. But such
is not the case. There are more than $50
different tribes, speaking as many differ
ent languages, separated by social ideas,
religion, and in fact everything that
would make cooperation or unity possible.
A very practical man from Boston, after
having Travelled over a good deal of India
and studied the conditions from a thoroly
practical standpoint, remarked to me that
he would give me just one million years
in which to civilize, Christianize and make
capable of self-government the people Of
this country, and think anyone with any
knowledge of the subject would agree with
him.
British rule in India has not only given
to the country the blessings which follow
permanent peace, which India never had
before, but she has placed a Gordon around
India so effectually that the incursions
from disturbing tribes and peoples outside
the country have been successfully stop
ped. Before Great Britain brought this
condition of peace upon India violent
and neyer-ceasing bloody strife prevailed
among the tribes for ascendancy. Had she
done nothing else she would have been en-
titled to the praise and thanks Of the civ
ilized world for having laid the foundation
for prosperity and peace in a country
which had never known the meaning Of
these words. But she has done more than
this. She has spread a network of rail-
roads all over India. She has brought
all parts of the country into communion
world by means of the telegraph. She has
erected cotton mills, jute mills, Touring
mills, and various other kinds of manu-
factories: she has built schoolhouses, col
leges, and churches for the assistance and
encouragement of the faithful mission
aries from other countries; has brought
under irrigation millions of acres of land ;
she has introduced modern sanitary con-
ditIons, electric cars in the cities, and
modern steamboats, for passengers and
freight traffic on the rivers: she has
brought thousands of acres of land under
cultivation tor the production OF tea, In
troduced modern methods for the growing
of rice and many kinds of fibers, and has
taught the Indian in thousand ways how
to economiZe his strength and utilize his
brains for business purposes. BY example
she has given a splendid lesson in all that
relates to a higher and better domestic
life, has by legislation and force remedied
many of the deplorable social conditions Of
the natives, such as the burning Of widows,
and has modified to considerable extent
the marriage of children at the tender
ages of five, six and ~ years. In short,
Great Britain has done more in the last
so years to civilize and refine India than
was done in the countless preceding CEN
turies.
The reclamation of the Hindu, II one
can call it reclamation, will be accom-
plished by teaching him self-respect, the
necessity of self-reliance, AMI ali that it
implies. The rights of women are better
respected than they used to be, but there
is room for improvement. In studying this
phase Of the social conditions of India
from the viewpoint of the Occident, it
would hardly seem as if any progress
whatever had been made in the treatment
of women and girls. These conditions
cannot be regulated by law, altogether,
but they can be greatly improved by law
and moral suasion. This is being done.
The end seems so far off, however, that
one is made heart-sck contemplating it
W. 81. Michael, American Consul General.