The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-01-28
INDIA IS QUIET
AND LOYAL TO
BRITAIN IN WAR
Only Disturbances Are Caused by
the Ever Restless Warlike
Border Tribes.
TO ASK VOICE IN EMPIRE

| by India for Greater Degree OF Az
tonomy-Mohammed Of India
Are Greatest BuIvxark Of
the British Rule.
London-All efforts to stir up seri-
GUS trouble for the British in India
have so far failed signaliy. The few
seditious movements noted have had
their origin In Hindu organizations
which antedate the great war.
| When it is considered that the pop
ulation Of India-315, 0O0, 00-is more
than three times that of the United
States, the relative insigniticance of
the few outbreaks in the last year and
half is evident.
In such great nation disorders are
! inevitable, In either war or peace, just
as the United States or any other ma.
ton Is never quite free from labor
troubles causing loss Of life or prop
erty. All the information, official and
otherwise, received here, shows that
the Indian empire is profoundly quiet,
except for the ever-restless, warlike
, border tribes of the Northwest.
The rulers of the great native indie
pendent or semi-independent states,
from the nizam of Hyderabad with his
100000 people down, are loyal to
their emperor. King George v Of Eng
land. They have contributed liber-
ally Of their public and private means
to assist Great Britain against her
enemies. Many of their relatives are
active members of the British army.
The Mohammedans OF India, far
from being an element to be distrust-
ed, are the greatest bulwark of Brit
ish rule. This minority Of 10000
has always sided with the British as
its protectors against the more numer.
Gus Hindus It is stated here that no
Mohammedan has ever been convicted
of completely in a reasonable enter.
prise in India
just Quiet Farmers.
1t must be remembered that of the
300,000,000 people in India at least
250,000,000 are quiet, uneducated, gen.
tie agriculturalists, quite uninterest.
| ed in politics, asking from their gov
| eminent only chance to till their lit.
tie farms in peace and caring no fur.
Their as to the character of their
| rulers.
1t must not be concluded from these
facts that the world war is without
important effect on India. The Hindu
intellectual leaders see the grow.
ing prominence of Canada, South AT.
rica Australia and New Zealand In
the empire. They know that these
British dominions will soon ask q
place in the councils of the empire,
and voice in the peace congress
which. shall follow the war.
They believe that the time has come
for India to have a voice In the EN-.
pre- too. They demand a further de.
gree Of autonomy for India, something
approximating the freedom of Eng.
lands white dependencies.
This was clearly set forth by the
Indian National congress at Bombay
on December 30, which unanimously
adopted resolution demanding self.
government for India.
At the same time the delegates to
the congress heartily applauded Baba
Surendranth Bannerjee when he said !:
"India's devotion to the throne dur.
ing the w.r has been unsurpassed"
Fellow Feeling Among Asiatics.
India, like other eastern nations, Ia
permeated, too, with the spirit OF
Asia for the Asiatics." Despite the
long hostility between certain nations,
notably China and Japan, there is de-
veloping fellow feeling in Asiatic
nations against European dictation.
An illustration was an incident which
occurred in Tokyo IN December.
Two young Indians, British sub,
jects, received SO hours notice to
leave Japan, the reason being their al.
legged completely in German plots to
foment disturbances i'll India. The no.
tice was SO timed that the only vessel
by which the departees could sail
was bound for Shanghai, where they
were liable to arrest by the British
consul.
The Indians laid their hard case
before sympathizers in the japanese
press. Leading independent politi.
clans were approached. In a few hours
q formidable agitation was afoot. A
deputation waited on the foreign min.
lister and asked that the order should
be withdrawn or altered so as to per.
NIT the Indians to board ship bound
for America.
The minister refused, whereupon
the government was defied. A lead
ing member If the diet who delights
to act the part Of q "ronin," or free
lance literally a warrior without q
lord), took the Indians to his home
and kept them there till the time
specified in the order had expired
-, Feared a FIare.Up.
The authorities drew q Gordon OF
police round his house but did moi
risk, entering and removing the In
dams. Next morning they covered ur
their capitulatlon by saying the In
dams had escaped-which nobody be
,lieved, the efficiency Of the japanese
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e1n0 chnIlHu cno uaoe