The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-14
ny RAM

Momen,arily the situation in India
becomes more clouded The political
horizon has never been darker since
1851 and the whole country is seething
with incipient revolution. This is the
real fact Of the situation.
F~om day to day revolutionary hap
~reu.ugs. assassinations. dacoities n
riots occur on the one hand M arrests.
executions, transportations, internments
m the other all are hushed up by the
British censor. and when they cannot
ht hushed up they are explained away.
Does anybody doubt this? Let him
oNamine the official documents issued
by the British Government itself. Some-
times. months afterward. they chronicle
happenings which at the time of their
occurrence the world was told never
took place.
The Government put all India under
martial law by legislative enactment on
March Is, ,lgl5. The Niceroy. Lord
Hardinge. gave the following reasons
ior Ms drastic step:
The Government, were in possession
~ Information which proved conclu-
siyely that a precautionary measure was
absolutely essential to meet the
emergencies that might arise. Some de-
lided men had during the last few
months committed acts of violence. In
i.enGal seditious activities, though not
new. had become more daring. In the
western punjab there had also been
lootlng and incendiarism and radical
conflict.
The Government had placed a num-
her Of the leaders under restraint. but
'urther powers were necessary. The
danger could only become serious IL not
checked promptly"
UevolutiOnista Active.
Also: The powers asked for tunder
the hill) were necessary for the public
safety. There existed on the Pacific
coast Of America "A revolutionary organ
cation which had endeavored to create
trouble in India by agency OF private
communication. In Bengal seditiOus
act vities, though not new. had become
more daring and the movements were
not u~nconEected." tSpeech by Lord
iiardinge quoted in india" London.
March 25.)
Austen Chamberlain. the British Sec
rotary Of state for India. say In his
special lengthy statement that "A very
active revolutionary paper has been
established in San Francisco. or some
poiu, near to that city. It was called
he Ghddr.
At the outbreak Of the warthis paper
cxhorted all Indians in the State or else
where to return TO India and lake up
arms against British rule. German
money may have backed 1t before the
war After the wal began Germany
,urely backed IL. The four thousand or
i've thousand returning indian formed q
secret revolutionary party. In the
towns and villages taught sedition n
attempted to seduce Indian soldiers.
This revolutionary party was financed
by violent robbery. it's bandits raiding
wealthy persons, sometimes holding them
'or ransom and committing several cruel
mGrdars. In the course OF a month or
two this organization was fully dealt
"itN by the police and the Government.
4 special" tribunal heard their cases. The
proceedings In connection with this were
ext a%ordlnary. being long and sensa-
tnrJl. for there were over eighty de-
PENDANTS. OF these twenty-six were con-
Gemued to death and rather more han
tadt 10 transportation and minor punish
meUt.'
Mr. Chamberlain's surmise that Ger
man money may have backed our paper
before the war Is an echo OF the British
Prosecuting attorney Petman's assertion
al the Lahore revolutionary trial that the
"Htndnstan Gaddr knew three years ago
about the coming war" We wish We
had known Il. 1t Is a regular mania with
tie British Government nowadays that
"r'royer there is found hatred or revolt
against the British they attribute II to
ite Germans. BY asserting the implica-
t"u Of Germans in the revOlts In india
t' British hope TO persuade Japan to
s''d nor troops to India to help quell the
oG'trcdk. The facts about ourselves are
Nrl known. we are not plotters and have
no s'"rr's. All that We do 10 to educate
oIr I"ople regarding the blessings Of ma
'"f'' independence. political freedom
and liberty.
British Fear Paper.
What Lord Hardinge calls our private
''innHulicatlons' are none other than the
issues Of he Hindustn" Gaddr. In other
Words the British Government was moro
AFRAID Of our educative and ethical
pl"ntganda than of all the "plota,"
"h1"h mad been going on In India for
NE last ten years. The American peo-
PIE VIII recall that the founders Of this
gL"a' republic, who accomplished exactly
Nhat We hope to-day for India. were
tlpmatI1ed by The British as "plotters
ah1 scditionists,"
Mr. Chamberlain says, A . matter
o' 'act there is absolutely no sign
o. revolt in India. Reports Of riots arc
"'a'ut foundation" In answer to this
! would like to know IL India Is tranquil
Why II ~ necessary to place the whole
."lN''y under martial law Why was
u Lf"cssary to abolish all ordinary civil
PROCEDURE and place the whole country
uhder military authority? Why did the
Government establish as early Is Octo-