The Washington herald., 1915-11-28
6EWGA LANGEos CN40G0YG

preparing his book New India in which
he courageously points out the injustice
from which India now suffers.
After the Indian mutiny the queen in
a proclamation promised that the natives
should be freely and impartially admitted
to Offices, the duties of which they might
be qualified by their education, ability
and integrity to discharge Lord Lytton,
a Hceroy of India, in a confidential docu-
ment. which got into print, speaking OF
the pledges OF the sovereign and the
Parliament of England said:
I'VE all know that these claims and
expectations never can or will be filed
We have had to choose between prohibit
ing the natives of India and cheating
them, and we have chosen the least
straightforward course
THE government of India Is as arbi-
trary and despotic as the government of
Russia ever was and in two respects Is
worse. First It is administered by an
alien people whereas the officials of Rus
STA are Russian. Secondly. It drains a
large part of the taxes out OF the country,
whereas the Russian government spends
at home the money which 1t collects from
the people.
"A third disadvantage might be named
since the car has already created legis-
lative body, whereas England continued
to deny to the Indians any form of rep.
resentative or constitutional government
The Indians pay into the government
nearly s225, 900 a year and OF this
nearly 500, 100000 is expended on an
army in which Indians cannot be officers.
II is not necessary to keep such an army
merely to hold the people in subsection II
the Indians are really satisfied with Eng
lish rule and IL the army is intended to
keep Russia from India, as Is sometimes
claimed, why should not the British gov
eminent bear a part OF the expenses?
The home charges, as they are called,
absorb practically one-third of the entirs
revenues. About s100,000,000 go out Of
India to England every year; more than
sI5.OOO,O0O is paid to European officials
in the civil employ. What nation could
stand such a drain without impoverish-
ment? Taxation is nearly twice as heavy
In India as in England in proportion to
the income Of the people
$50 great has been the drain. the In
ipstice TO the people, and the tax upon
the resources of the country. that famines
have Increased in frequency and severity.
Mr. Gokhale, one Of the ablest of midas
public men, presided over the meeting or
the last Indian National Congress, held
In December, and declared in his opening
sneech that the death rate had steadily
risen from twenty-four to the 1000 In
1882, to thirty In 1889, anu 10 thlrt9-louF
at the present time.
"I have heard more than once within
tho last month the plague referred to as
a proyidential remedy for oyer-popula-
tion Think of it, British rule justified
because il keeps the people from killing
each other and the plague praised be-
cause II removes those whom the govern
ment has saved from slaughter.
"Of the total amount raised from tax
atom each year about 40 per cent is
raised from land and the rate is SO heavy
that the people cannot save enough when
the crops are good to feed themselves
when the crops are bad. More than 10
ner cent of the total tax Is collected on
salt, which now pays about hve-eighths
~ a cent a Mound This is especially bur-