Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-02-26
MISSIONARIES DISAGREE
WITH ROOSEVELT
ABOUT INDIA
An Open Letter Protests at
Eulogy of Great Brit
ain by the Pres
ident.
DESPOIISM WORSE
THAN IN RUSSIA
The Indians Have no Voice In
Government and India is Run
BY the English for Ben
eft OF the Eng

.NtN Olks Ftb. zb.-Au open let
Ter has been addressed to President
Roosevelt in protest against his re-
cent laudatory characterization of
British rule i'm India at the Metropol-
itan Methodist Episcopal Church in
Washington. The protest has II
signers, mem bers of the Society for
the Advancement of India and others,
including Rev. DR.. j. T. Sunderland,
Hartford Moorfield storey, Boston;
Erving Winslow. Boston; DR.. Leslie
Willis Sprague, New York; Rev. DR..
r. Heber Newton, New York; ]. Col
Inns Pumpelly, New York; John ].
Murphy. New York; DR.. John IL.
Girdner. New York; Dr. John Milton
Dexter. New York ]. H. Postleth-
waite. New York; Myron H. Phelps.
New York; Rev. Dr. O. Hall. New
York; Rev. DR.. Merle st. Croix
Wright, New York; Charles b. Sout-
ter, Aiken. S. c.; Hon Chas. II. AL
drich. of Chicago. formerly solicitor
general of the United States; Rev.
Jenkin Lloyd Jones. of Chicago; Louis
F. Post, of Chicago.
Worse Than Russian Despotism.
In refutation of the presidents as
a Colossal success. the letter de-
clares that. on the contrary, it is. a
despotism worse than that of Russia
as far as possible removed from the
ideal Of the government at the head
of which he stands and which he is
suppose to believe in and represent
1.-THE people of Indian have no voice
whatever in the management of their
affairs. The small number of Indians
on government councils are, with
rare exceptions, appointed by the
government Their functions are
merely advisory. They have no pow
er in the management of Indian af-
fairs"
Not a tax can be changed, not ru-
pee of the peoples own money ap-
propriated for any purpose however
urgent. without the consent of British
officials. Even the new reforms
proposed by Lord Morley will effect
no essential change. Lord Morely
himself declares: If it could be said
that this chapter of reforms led di-
rectly or necessarily up to a pariia-
mentary system for India, 1, for one,
would have nothing to do with it ."
Imprisonment Without Trial.
Not only" il is alleged, "are the
Indian people allowed no part in
shaping the destiny of their own
country, but even freedom of speech
and of assembly are permitted only
Under the sCyerest limitations and
the most CALLING espionage, the free
dom of the press has been taken
away. Today fully one hundred ed
itors are sedving terms of from three
to ten years in prison, many of them
without trial, without having had op-
portunity to defend themselves, in
not few cases without even having
been informed of the nature of their
offense. The crime almost invariably
charged is 'sedition. In India the
mere discussion of reforms is pun
ished by open or secret Imprisonment
There is no Indian home that is not
liable at any hour of the day or night
to be forcibly entered and searched
at the instigation of spying police
There is no Indian gentleman, how
ever high his standing or unim-
peachable his character who may not
at any moment be arrested and hur-
ricd away 10 an unknown prison.
Nine such arrests and incarceratiJns
lpok place recently III a single week.
Even distinguished Englishmen visit
ing India have their mail tampered
with and are shadowed by the police
IL they are SO much as suspected of
any sympathy with the Indian people.
Despotic Censorship of Press
"All telegraphic and other news
from India is closely censored" it is
said Gin the English interest" What
is learned by the world is for the
most part only the English view. But
one in Mr.. ROosevelt's position, the
protest insists, should have adequate
ly informed himself before undertake
ing TO speak on a subject affecting
the interests of some three hundred
millions OF people. Adequate infor-
nation is available. The English
Labor Party is taking up the wrongs
Of India. determined that they shall
no longer be ignored. Distinguished
and able Englishmen, many Of them
members Of parliament who have also
had long service i'm India, are, In in
creasing numbers espousing the
CAUSE af India reenlvad that the