The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-07-03
copyright, 1910, by Frank G. Carpentero
Calcutta 1910

w Great Britain
w Can the soooOo,ooo Hindoos,
Mohammedans and others who inhaoit
her unite in a rebellion?
What would happen If the British
should leave and the government be given
over to the natives?
What are the causes of the Unrest and
what can be done to allay it?
These are some of the big questions dis
cussed here below the Himalaya noun
tains on the other side of the globe. Let
me give you a stray talk or so which
have had with British officials concern
ing them. My first conversation was
with the former private secretary of the
viceroy, Col Dunlap Smith. Every one
who knows anything of the India of to-
day knows him. He has been connected
with the civil service for a quarter of
century and is acquainted with the peo-
pies and the country from Tibet to Cey-
Ion. When l asked him as to the awak-
ening of Asia he replied
There is no doubt but that Asia is
fast waking up. The whole continent is
on its feet. l have seen signs of its rising
for years. and now these signs are so ev-
ident that he who runs can read them
You call 1t an awakening. Other people
call it unrest But call 1t what you
please, there is undoubtedly a change
going on in the intellectual conditions of
this part of the world. You can see it in
Japan, Persia, China and Turkey. 1t is
so here, and that with almost every class
of our people. India as you know, is
world 1t. is a land of many countries
and many languages. There Is as much
1,atrr he of Of
and the Bengal as there is between the
Swede and the Italian the American and
the Turk.
This awakening Is not confined to any
e~e Religion Coloel Smith continued. 1T
is supposed to be fomented by the Hin
docs, but it Is prevalent among the Mo-
hammedans as we'll One of the leading
Mohammedans of the north came to my
office in the midst of the war between
the japanese and the Russians He re-
ferred to Japan's victories and significant
" said that they meant much for India
When that war was over we received
deputations of Mohammedans who
claimed certain rights and privileges
They did not get down on their knees
with their hands folded in the attitude of
PRAYER, as some other classes of our
population might have done. but they
asked as though they had the right to
ask and with the expectation that their
claims would be granted. Since that time
this feeling has grown. 1t has spread
and we are now having demands of va
rious kinds from the representative ma
tfves of all parts of India. The situation
is serious and We are trying to handle 1t
seriously"
HindOoes and MOhammedans
But can the Hndoos and the Mo-
n r1r11e5aDS work tOgether2 And will
they do so7''
81 think not" was the reply Neither
trusts the other We have three times
as many Hindoos as Mohammedans
There are 60ooo.oo0 Mohammedans and
about 2oO. oOO coo Iindoos. The Mohamme-
dams are afraid that they will lose in any
such combination. One reason is the
Hindoos are so much in the majority. and
another is that their better education and
fitness of mind would give them the adj
vantage in any governing body where an
educational qualification might be re-
quired."
I asked this same question later in the
day of one of the viceroy's cabinet. He
replied
THE most of our troubles come from
the educated Hindoos. although many of
them are still loyal to the government.
AS to the Mohamn1edans, they are COM
paratively quiet. but they want a greater
share in the administration of affairs
They are not in favor of any change
which might put the Hindoo on horse
back and they fear If representative
government should be instituted the enor-
NOUS numbers OF the Hindoos would give
them the majority of the offices. You
have of course. read of Lajpat Raj. the
anti-government agitstor whom we had to
ship out of the country.
HE was native lawyer student of
the College of Lahore who believed in
India for Indians. He was an eloquent
fellow and could stir up the Hindoos. but
he could not impress the Mohammedans
once heard him make an incendiary
speech at Lahore His audience was
mixed body of Mohammedans and Hin
docs. He was denouncing the British
and demanding that India should he gov
erned by natives. Upon that a Moham-
medan In the crowd cried out: When we
want new ruler we won't choose a
banya (tradesman) like you. We would
rather have the British, Well. that is
the feeling of the Mohammedans. They
have no use for the Hindoos and espe-
cially for the educated Hindoos, who are
called the Babus''
II John Bull Left India.
Suppose the British should leave?
''What would be the resut?''
There is no danger of that" was the
reply. I'VE could not leave II we would.
This As a part of our share of the white
mans burden, and we must carry It,
whatever the COST
But SUPPOSE"
III we should take our army out of the
country and give the rule to the natives
the result would be anarchy. The country
would be flooded with blood, and the
very people who are denouncing us would
be the first to die. The Mohammedans
would attack the Hindoos. They would
rush down from the Punjab and cap
ture Bengal The Afghans would march
over the border and take back the valley
OF Peshawar which we have wrested
from them and the warike Napeese
would loot the Bengalis. The Nizam of
Hyderabad would throw his armies into
the struggle and there would be score
Of great forces warning upon one another,
to say nothing OF the feuds between
tribes. At the time of the mutiny of
1887 many of the native chiefs took adj
vantage of the occasion to settle their
long time feuds
These people treasure injuries from
generation to generation and they grasp
at such time to continue the vendettas
sworn by their ancestors There would
be religious wars and caste wars. family
wars and wars of private grievances. The