The Washington herald., 1911-10-30
MIMIC REGIME IN INDIA
NEARLY FATAL TO EMPIRE

OF the twenty-nine British peers who
went over to the Liberal party instead
of sticking it out Ito the last ditch,
August % last, when the House OF
Lords lost it's veto power and with 1t
its great prestige, none could claim
more distinguished public career than
George Gilbert Elliot, the Earl of Mimic,
who had devoted the best part of his life
to the public service of his country.
In his earlier days he smelt powder
in many a campaign, including the
Afghan and BOer wars in 1881 and in
the Sudan in 1882, where he was wound
ed. Later he was governor general of
the Dominion of Canada, and finally he
held the highest and most important,
and respectable post which the British
empire has to offer to Its great admins
tratOrs-that of a viCeroy of India.
When he was announced as the Sue
cessor of Lord Curzon in India the
choice was pleasing to all parties. The
governor generalship Of India is no sine
cure, but the empire believed that the
tact and experience of the new vicerOy
in ruling men would enable him to add
fresh IaureIs to his own reputation and
to that Of the British Raj" But, on
the whole, Lord Minto'r viCeroyaIty must
be pronounced not to have been sue
cCssful True. in some directions he
bore himself well.
India. excepting its Babus. is a land
Of sportsmen. and Lord Mimic was a first
rate sportsman. always ready for an ex-
peditiOn to some distant state. He GER
tainly was persona Grata" with the an
cient aristocracy of Hindustan.
he ri inc
daughters. now Lady Charles Fitzmau-
rice and Lady Errington. also were able
to give a good account Of themselves. and
many a paper in India and England has
published excellent pictures of trophies
Of the chase shot by these distinguished
ladies, including tigers panthers. and
other beasts of the jungle.
But when it came to ruling rebels with
firm hand, his lordship lacked that
grit which should be expected from
one of his house. 1t is true he was har-
asscd by the interference Of a govern
ment. which could not afford to be
broad-minded. when it relied for support
on gentlemen like Mr.. Kcir Iardie. Sir
w. p. Byles, or Mr.. Arnold Lupton. Lord
Mimic found that the sly Babus were not
only agitators, but were guilty Of serious
sedition against their British rulers.
Bombs heramr a daily occurrence:
harmless ladies were massacrod in cold
blood. and the more distinguished a pub
lie mans career. and the more faithful
he proved himself to his rulers, the more
relentless were tho attacks upon his life
The fatal weakness Of Lord Mintu was
then displayed. Instead Of putting down
anarchism with an iron hand ne gave
way and rendered lip service to the
Claims Of democracy. gave the rebels. if
not hom" government. at least the oppor-
I tuntty Of claiming that they had man.
| aged to t"rroriz" the British government
into concessions.
In" result was inevitable. As had
hc"n expected bv every farsightrd
Statesman. that last status Of India was
wur>" than tho first. Instead of sup
pressing anarchy. by giving way to the
| Bengali Babu. tn" result Of temporiZing
with such men led to series Of disas-
t"rS much worse than before. So bad,
indeed. became the scdition. that the
Viccroy himself had to hush up scan
dals which. il vas Whispered touched
( those very near to his person in his ma
tive councils.
To-day the British government can
only control the growth Of srdifion bv
adopting thOs" Very means which the
Liberal government regarded in horror.
No mans house * safe from an inva-
sion Of the police. the native press is ef-
f"ctIaIly mUzzl"d. And all this Lord
Mimic was compelled to do not because,
as "A statesman. ~. realized that England
"an only rul" in India by the strength Of
her own right hand. hut because he was
indiSCreCt enough to imagine that a few
aliens could rule 800, 60 UOD people bv soft
words and radical sentiments This same
fatal Judgment, apparently. took him
into the radical lobby on that fatal night
"f tn" 10Th Of August. HIS Iordship is a
distinguished public servant. and all
honor to his good Intentions but men Of
his type. who allow their hearts to rule
their swords, n" not the men who made
the British empire, or the men who will
hold 1t. FLANEUR.
Copyright 1911 by Court Gossip Syudicatc.j