The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-14
Regarded as Most Colossal
Blundcr in Recent History
OF Indian .Ai1airs.
MUCH TROUBLE STIRRED UP
Every Stage OF Progress Through
Empire Marked by Regret
table Incidents"
ny ED. L. KEEN.

I blUsdcr in the recent history Of the
| Indian administration.
I During their SIX weeks visit IN
India the King and queen, now en-
route home. covered thousands OF miles
I of territory and exhibited themselves
, to millions OF THEFT dusI>N subjects
hu; instead OF "tightcuinG the bonds
F, Of empire and consolidating British
rule In India" as the adyana notice
! proclaimed, the trip stirred up mora.
trouble than all the seii,ious activi-
ties Of native agitators in the past five
years
The wnnton cxtravagan Of the
Dui;bar ceremony. at "a time when
money was so badly needed In India
for the relief OF human suffering.
created an unfavoruhlc Impression
from the start. and practically every
stag OF Their MaiCstics theatrical
progress through til" empire was
marked by 'regrcttahlc Incidents" as
tho official explanations put 1t.
Bombay. one OF the most loyal cities
OF the country, wac bitterly offended
when. after ii had hccn cunlbed by the
secret police. il was announced that
the King and Queen would hav. their
headquarters OH board the Mcdin;
during their visi, ;hnrc, instcri IF re-
siding on shurc. Tic Is in;: Emperor,
while making speeches praising the
loyalty of his Indian subjects. did not
trust them after all. r:Hrcp, FOR tin
timc wien he was ensaeed in the
ceremonies on land. NJ WIS under 'lie
guard at his own wurshipS. instead Of
relying upon tho itlclity of his native
troops.
\ far better impression also would
hay" been made If thu kim. and
Queen when they reached Delhi had
taken up their residence in the old
royal palace. instead of surrounding;
themselves hv $4,000 troops ia Il tom
r"rary Camp. Tho official cxplauu-
ton was tina, the palace was TOO old
and unsani,ary for their occupation:
Iant II might easily have been ever
hauled. and at much less cost than
the construction OF III" cnmp.
Innumcruhlc aguabhien over prccc.
dCnc". inscrarnbi" rrnr1 such - gather
ing Of hauEhty princes NJ various races
aud religions. marked the whole pro
ce"dngs IS, p"hi hut the mos; So
rious mistake was tho anuh or insult
to ;hc ,;ackwar OF Raro,ia. the second
most powerful chicftnio in India. The.
,'dckwnr had rendered homage in IA
cavalier manner, VIC arc tuld. hut thu.
apology wrurg FROM him, Ia soothr the
offended dignity "f tho King Emperor.
w.s far more public Insult than
tne actual uG.nsc. The Who'll" story
will probably nrvcr 10 ,old hit al
though it is now stated srimi- oni,ialiy
that tho tia"kwar's behavior mad hcrn
very uusntisfn",nry for som" Time
past, i, s tol"rably ccriain TIA, his
present disgrace IS primarily due to
his having been miN"d up in AN Eng
lish divorce case Tw" DAVIS hcfnr.,
the purhar ceremony an application
Was made in tho london courts TO cit.
the Mahratta chioftatn q. "a correspond
ont in til" S'atham divorce suit. Tho
judge, doubtless acting under 'ns,ruc.
ti",ls from the India onic" deferred
Judgment until after the DuYbar an
tho question nf whether the tiackwar
was an independent ruling prince. ana
us such outside the j,iris.liction Of the
English courts. later he decided that
the Indian rotcntaie was properly
exempt
British court etiquette places per-
sons who have Aacn involved IN divorce
cases "utside the pale and with such
rigid moraiist ns queen Mary on
tho throne IL is poseihl" tia, the Gncl<
war received an irtimation that nc
ur.ke himself inconspicUuus after The
formal purbar ceremony. even IL lie
was not told to absent himself alto
Scthcr.
The inditfcrcn; manner in which h.
rendered homage and Tho sNc"rIni: eX-
preston with which he turned his
i'ttk on inc hli!S- l.NnrrpT alter how
in:; could not We overlook ed. for fear
II might encourage other princes to
inliint" him, or think that thu british
King could be treated with dis,t.,iu
Ghc ilumhl" apology. ;ul the very thir
"NvHS" ~ "n"rv"uSn"Ss published by
~ Nir"r"y with Tho inckwar'. con-
s,nt." aud tn. crushing official iu,i-
NATION lhat his "aticujancc' was dis
rcnsrd with f"r ;lr" rest OF tho core
monies may have had i s.tutaIy clfrc,
! on. some 81 tine princes, hut il trIn-
/ liSh"d !" tho whole wori1 the story
I nf thc GackH"rs oGousY aud punish
/ mont;
me c;aekwois SUBJECTS number
| ucarly 5000 600. lut there are many
/ m"rr millions OF Mahra;ias in tho
nri.hhorinG states ana the same race
SGrIli"S a number rf the most trusted
r-Eimcnts Of the indian army How
iif"s" p"orl" will take the humiliation
"l VIZ" rruripa Mghratta chtcitu:, is
. lfrUpt4lHN ia for,scc
rr,t sain ne hunting trim int"
Nrra e' tiu1Iov FOR ,nc otntr
2Er.i p#lncrs. 'cFr " Jealous of tuei.
PRIVILEGES resent to taTortism shown
10 tue M.aalniH of N"pa!--or entertain
!rF ~ E.UH- Emperor n his own "a NcC
'.41 A.7 Own -iat"--h vrivlle"" viii h
vas d"u q 70 nl others FROM the
roiu, Of icw q ,ne rtoplc y. Ncyal.
nave H"rlEei from tn's token ~ cs-
tom "Is nuiiinoG IS the sudden dcats
ni tier r&i'r ~"rN h.forc Tho hur,
Il .hmmGn'fa fan .nlhargii's 'iea'n and
ING kings i.S'i wupll. 10, ronucrt
th"mse! +es IN ,ne mind 81 Europaan.
izcd the effect ON inc natlv. Ir,o.I,,,-
ton Is proved ay ilc fac; that tho nro.
pic were not allowed 10 hear Of ,hcIr
! rulers death for nearl,. !, wcei. r,
the event. Then thc meas VA. nc.
companicd oy the Official nssu!anc.
that lie maharaja's diving wtsb wa
. that IN" King Emperor SHOULD 20 q,
! with MS hunting.
The thcntrira! anuo,lnccm ~, a, IN.
purbar ~ the cha'Rc Of tile caplta
from Calcutta to Deihi and The admir-,
istratiye REORGANIZATION IN bengal All,
provoked much unfavnrahl" comment
From the admin!strstvc :oln, Of view