The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-02-26
AN OPEN LETTER
TO THE PRESIDENT
Society For the Advancement of India
Protests Against Public Utter
ances of Theodore.
BY Associated Press

BY Associated Press
Washington d. c., Feb. 26.-An
open letter has been addressed to
President Roosevelt in protest against
his recent laudatory Characterization
of British rule in India at the Metro
politan Memorial Methodist Episco-
pal church in Washington The pro-
test has II signers, members of the
Society for the Advancement Of India
and others, including Rev. ]. r. Sun
derland Hartford; MocFfield Storey,
Boston; Erving Winslow, Boston; DR..
Leslie Willis Sprague, New York;
Rev R. Heber Newton, New York;
j. Collins Pumpelly, New York John
j. Murphy, New York; DR.. John H.
Girdner, New York; Dr. John Milton
Dexter, New York; j H. Postleth-
waite New York; Myron H. Phelps,
New York; Rev DR.. Frank O. Hall,
New York; Rev Dr.. Merle St. Croix
Wright, New York Charles B.
Soutter, Aiken, S. c.; Hon H. Aldrich,
of Chicago, formerly solicitor general
of the United States; Rev. Jenkin
Lloyd Jones, of Chicago; Louis F.
Post, Of Chicago.
In refutation of the Presidents as
sertion that British rule in India is
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 government at the head Of
which he stands and which he is sup
posed to believe in and represent
The peonle OF India have no voice
whatever in the management of their
own affairs The small number of In
dians 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" mot a tax can be changed,
not a rupee of the peoples own money
for any purpose, how
ever urgent, without the consent of
British officials. Even the new re-
forms proposed by Lord Morley will
effect no essential change Lord
Morley himself declares: If it could
be said that this chapter of reforms
led directly or necessarily up to a
parliamentary system for India, l for
one would have nothing to do with
IT,"
mot only it is alleged are the
Indian people allowed no part in shap-
ing the destiny of their own country,
but even freedom of speech and of
assembly are permitted only under
the severest limitations and the most
CALLING espionage, and freedom of the
press has been taken away. Today
fully one hundred editors are serving
terms of from three to ten years in
prison, many of them without trial,
without having had opportunity to de-
lend themselves, in not few cases
without even having been informed
lf the nature of their offense. The
crime almost invariably charged is
sedition. In India the mere discus
sion of reforms is punished by open |
)r secret Imprisonment There is no
indian home that is not liable at any |
lour of the day or night to be forci- |
Dly entered and searched at the insti |
cation of spying police. There is no
indian gentleman. however high his |
standing or unimpeachable his char
lcter. who may not at any moment be
lrrested and hurried away to an un-
Inown prison. Nine arrests and in
took place recently in a
ingle week. Even distinguished
visiting India have their
nail tampered with and are shadowed
y the police if they are so much as
inspected of any sympathy with the
indian people.
"All telegraphic and other news
rom India is closely censored" it is
aid in the English interest" What
S learned by the world is for the
most part only the English view But /
ne in Mr.. Roosevelt's position, the
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