The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-04-04
BRITISH DON'T HIDE
SEDITlON IN INDIA
Officials Discuss General Suh.
ject Freely, but Arc silent
on Details.
TRACE PROPAGANDA HERE
~ OSCAR KING DAVIS

~ OSCAR KING DAVIS.
CALCUTTA. Feb. Is.--If you con. -
India from tho China side. no mate.
what port YOU touch on your way. lana.
nese. Chinese. French. Siamese. Ansr,.
can. Dutch. or British. you are certain
to near stories OK the bad domestic ,,,,.
alton. And tho things you see done >,
Indians at every British port you ,oucb
tend strongly to confirm these stories
You land in India with an impression
which is nearly y conviction tina, III.
whole country is full OF sed..ion. and
that the British Government Is resting
upon q volcano that Is liable TO erupt
at any moment.
An Indian who has been abroad ana
returns to his country does so a, N.
cost OF a great deal Of trouble and mn,h
voxa,ion. Moreover. his personal ana
physical record. in detail, either accom-.
panies or precedes him. so that Il 10 I'm.
possible FOR him to move abou, in his
own Ian without the most complete ana
constant police supervision.
First Impressions IN Calcutta are IN
keeping with those accumulated or Ia.
Ions trip from Japan. TIE pho, who
comes aboard your ship brings news.
papers, In every Oae OF which you s-s
| likely 20 find from three TO half dozen
items bearing upon the question.
No Details Owen.
Here - q paragraph reporting a ,ol!t.
| ical dacoi;y. and in the next co,airn an.
other giving An account of the search OF
| one o. more native houses Ard the n.
eaEf nf AnAE No hAtalIk y AVA
given OF such searches and arrests. NJ
statement o. the charge against taose
arrested Is made.
Along with these Items there ~! be
two or three dispatches narrat.ns tl-
progress Of ono or another o. the var.
Gus conspiracy trials taat are be.ns
held around tho country. The sI5Jec:
OK seditlon and treason tras an ayi--.
cable amount Of space In Amos, evury
newspaper. There Is one striS'ig dif.
ference from the manner III which tae
matter IL handled In all the other B-t!s.i
ports | have touched on my way here.
In India the nettle is srasped With a
firm hand. Government officials here 4,
not find II worth while. apparently. -
attempt any pluifs as to the wordert.
loyalty, peace and c~on;ertnent OF the
native population. l; seems 20 ne takea
for granted that everybody hnows taere
Is a lot or SeultlOn.
The tales l have heard OF riutiHg AND
conspiracy in Hongkcng, Singapore AMI
Rangoon, OF attempted disturbance On
the Andaman stands and elsewhere, and
especially The stories OF constant trou.
bic around Calcutta, had prepared ne
to find any kind OF a situation here
They were all told In whispers and 'le
newspapers OF tho different ports hal
little to say or even hint abou; SIC"
things.
Yet here in Calcutta. in the d!siric,
where the sedit.onists are most active,
one OF the two centres of d.saftettioi
In the whole Of India. the situation ;
a subject OF practically open di=cuss.o
| Was warned by a kindly d. poset
but somewhat nervous Britisl,er who .
in business here not IL undcrtutc T.
discuss this question and especially u0t
TO he asking questions about the scdi-
ZIONIST movement. | found the criminal
investigation department ready 10 tai
about sedition and it's extent in B,.sa.
and elsewhere in India
silent ON Particulars.
There was no hesitation in getting onto
that subject, although there Vac 4.
good deal of reserve when the discus.
sion seemed likely TO go INTO "details
The police and customs examination
which we underwent at Rungnor VAS
repeated on our arrival al Calcutta. va.
il was not so severe and p.rsls,,,. ~
cept that there was not the san, !-.
gree OF suspicion tina, We vrr. ,,,.s.H,
German spies. I'll. Indians were rl'
through not only the same kiri 81 d
general examination that they ati
dergonc At liangoon; they w"r, ,tr.
fully searched IN addition IN, ,.-
cutta police take 10 chan - Pei.
Indians returning from Canada 90 q
United States and bringing iu dtH- '.
sed'tious literature.
IndIa Is stnl feeling thc Effects ~ ''
komagata Maru business. and p-l.a-
hIF VIII continue To do 80 f'~ q goo.
brought back from the lni,,i S,.'.~
~ '','''" fc'eF"i "unl''' I',
,, ""' w" '''''N ~ l''"'' ~ ''
1900 ~ ~ 1It no. AAH