Evening star., 1914-08-16

w ar

ling fmmortaltsod rs the city OF dread
fui night" although his description
city. became city of dreadful day as
well. The removal OF the seat of gov
ernment from Calcutta to Delhi was
an extreme measure. which might have
ness.
Delhi. with its history and It's pic
turesQue Durbars. where the English
monarchs accept the homage of their
Indian subjects, and Its Mohammedan
surroundings, seemed q safer place for
onicialdom. but events showed that ON
cials are safe from Indian anarchists
IN no place.
Benares. the holy city on the 0anges.
WAS once suggested rs q more ntting
place for the capital. but this sugges-
tion never received serious considera-
ton.
Il does not appear that the removal Of
the seat OF government to Delhi has ma
terially affected Indian discomfort, but
less 10 heard Of this discomfort than when
Calcutta was the seet Of authority. The
Hindus and the Nohammedans in their
religion, and who arc physically DO finest
race In India. are reported 10 b Aned
With unrest, and the golden temple At
I'D 10 be = temple Of dis.nectoa. This
may not be true, yet there n likely To be
some ground for the rumor.
The trouble which the British edminis-
tratdon in India encounters II that the na-
donalistic movement n secret Promi-
nent natives identified ~ leaders of the
proposed reform under which India would
have q larger measure OF se0-government
disclaim sympathy with the secret activi-
des, yet they are moved BY these agencies
because al India feels them.
Il may be Q question whether the whole
Indian empire 10 honeycombed with oon
0p1rAcy and treason. ~ some alarmist
British odnciais have contended. but there
10 apprehension that some day there may
be an outbreak which Win rival the Sea-
poy nutiny. and which will be Tar more
general.
It Ii q curious Circumstance that the
spread Of the English language IL held
to be one OF the means OF crystallixing
and concentrating opposition to British
rule. With the numberless vernacular
dialects. formerly there was little oppof-
tunity for Interchange OF ideas on q COM
mon basis. and the idea Of INDIAN na-
tionality as antagonist1c to British rule.
while It existed In some sections, had no
common medium.
But with the spread of English the ma
lives Of the north. who are educated.
communicate readily with the natives Of
the south. Because Of the many dialects
the officers OF the native regiments give
their orders in English. and the rank and
file Of the native India army. which is
under British control. has learned TO un-
derstand and to speak little colloquial
English.
While It IL the practice to send the ma
tive troops Of the north to the south. and
rrfA bat fhAr mil hA HYnA RfSFT
local influences, It has been found that
this knowledge Of English. slight though
It II, in some way nullifes the strange
ness Of the troops in their new surround
ings.
Several years ago a munchi. or
teacher. in Bombay. who was teaching
me enough of Hindustani to take a
trip through northern India and Kash-
mir. called my attention to the signif-
icance Of this fact. He. himself. was
q graduate Of the English College at
Lahore. and spoke Oxford English. /
presume that at heart he was anti anti
in telling me how useful the knowledge
OF English was in drawing the different
races Of India together and enabling
them to interchange ideas.
The native Indian army ID presumed 70
be loyal. Its English officers are as
troops, and they have always professed
that however great the disarection might
be among the masses Of the people the
soldiers who were regularly enlisted and
were part Of the army. would not be in
nuenced by popular agitation. On the
other hand. the agitators. who have been
advocating terrorism and anarchy. would
not be likely to neglect any opportunity
- diaa fPect t1aA native tf,oOp1
In the Boer war in South Africa con-
tingents Of native troops were volunteer
ed. Recently in the British parliament
the premier stated that two divisions OF
India troops might be utilized in the Eu-
ropean war. This would not indicate
any fear Of attack by Germany on the
Indian empire or even ,s any serious n, appte hH re-,
ternal disaffection during the progress OF
the present war.
Japan, however. again looms up. Should
the war extend to the east, and should
Japan fulflI the terms of the alliance. as
its statesmen have announced they In
tend to do. by making war on the Ger
man possessions in Asia the feeling that
the Caucasian race is not alone a con-
revived.
The native races Of India would again
be permeated with the spirit which fol-
lowed the Russo-Japanese war, and the
sentiment OF nationality might again be-
come predominant, and take the form of
intensified opposition to British rule.
However. the war has not gone far
enough as yet to determine Japans par
ticipation. The indirect result of such ac-
hon Is. therefore, too vague to require
further consideration at present.
CHARLES M. PEPPER
OciateS