The Cairo bulletin., 1912-01-02

London IN spite of anything
Lord Curzon may say who secs the
present government by single ac-
tion unfolding all the long work of
discord and division performed by
himself during his Indian Vice
royalty, there can be little doubt
that the new British policy which
was outlined by King George in his
speech at the Delhi Durbar, will
prove very beneficial to India and
will serve at least to put off the day
when that great empire tears itself
loose from British rule. even if il
does not result in uniting the two
countries permanently.
The kings speech at Delhi came
as a great surprise to everybody in
England, and it was evidently taken
as personal insult by Lord Curzon,
But, after all. there was no real
reason to be surprised, for the llD-
eral government is only going to try
to pacify India, whose inhabitants
hate everything British at least as
heartily as did the Beers. Once more
the government has given a practi-
cal proof of its faith in home rule,
though home rule for Ireland is pre-
ceded BY home rule for India.
The government has moved into
the capital of India from Calcutta to
Delhi, step which the people OF In
dia have already greeted with de-
light, but what is far more impor-
tant they have reversed Lord Cur
IONS division OF Bengal and thus
undone the greatest political blund-
or ever committed by any British
viceroy in modern India, and follow
ing up this they have foreshadowed
system of evolution and autonomy
which will in few years practically
make India a self-governing country.
When one remembers that India
with its 300,000,000 of people has
hitherto been governed by an almost
autocratic bureaucracy, represented
by council that sits in Calcutta to
advise the vieeroy and another coun-
ell that sits in London to advice the
secretary for India, 1t is small won
der that the people of India have
learned to hate people who treated
them like ignorant savages.
The people of India have of recent
rears been deeply stirred by the
great unrest in all parts of the East.
They have seen Japan becoming
a powerful, independent civilized
state with a voice that commands re-
spect all over the world, they have
seen Turkey shake off her corrupt
despotism and become 6. constitu-
tional state, and they are even now
seeing China awakening from her
long sleep
The action of the present liberal
government, / maintain, may have
saved India for the British empire
for of late there has arisen in India
a huge class of native wealthy mer-
chants and educated Indian univer-
sity men, who are in many respects
as proud of their position as are the
leaders of wealth and thought in Eu.
rope, and who are not content to be
treated as ciphers. Ignored and
neglected by the official government
| throughout Lord Curzon's reign
| they organized themselves into a
great national congress which repre-
scented rival government in tn,
eye Of the people Of India, and with
out the reforms which have now
been granted, it would very shortl,
have become rival government II
fact as well.
The naughty Tories in England
are silent at present, as they sa,
themselves, because of the presene,
Of the king in India" but when h,
returns their criticism will breal
out In full force Is not this in itsel
a proof that the government ha
done the proper thing to win tn,
people of India for England, as the,
| have already won the Beers?