The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-18
INDIA IN THE WAR
Vi Other Nation Has Problem Like
81, ngIandis Except Austria.


Auss Lies not send the soldiers
recruited }aer Italian provinces
| to fight agains. Italians, observes
the Cleveland Plan- ealer. She does
not compel her Serb regiments from
Bosnia and Herzegovian to fight
against Serbians. The Little Rus
slams" of Galicia are not, as rule,
sent against the Russians. And the
Roumanian frontier is not being
guarded by the Hungarian Roumans
OF Siebenburgen. There is an effort
to dispose the polyglot army of the
dual empire so that the soldiers will
not be compelled to fight against men
Of their own race.
No other belligerent has so difficult
a race problem. But England, mistress
of the great Mohammedan armies of
ndia, has a somewhat similar problem
and is solving it in an entirely differ
ent way.
AT the beginning OF the war the In
dians were brought to France and did
excellent service. In spite of their
unfamiliarity with European climate.
they served throughout the first Win
ter in the Flemish trenches. But with
the approach OF second winter the
British sent them all away. They
were solemnly thanked for their deeds
of valor, and packed off to some other
front where they would not have to
fight the weather as well as the
enemy.
All these men are now either fight
ing against the Ottomans or are on
garrison duty ready to fight the Otto
mans whenever it may be necessary.
Some are in Mesopotamia. others are
in Egypt. The Australian and New
Zealand troops, established in Egypt
early in the war, were removed for the
Dardanelles campaign, and after the
British defeat were sent to Saloniki
The safety of Egypt is almost wholly
entrusted to the Indians, while upon
the yalor of Indians depends the final
success or failure of the Mesopotamia
war.
1t will be seen therefore, that the In
dians are now almost wholly placed
where they will be opposed by a Mo
hammedan foe The majority of the
Indian soldiers are themselves Moham-
medans, either orthodox or heterodox
though there are large non-Moslem
elements. There has been no slight
est hesitancy. either at the Dardanel.
les or in Mesopotamia, in throwing
these soldiers against the armies o.
the Turkish sultan, supreme head OF
Islam, nor has there been any indica
tion OF lack of zest among the Indian
troops.
Before the war the Indian army
numbered nearly 100000 men Hos
many of these are actually participat.
ing in the European war cannot be es
timated. 1t is. certain, however, thai
the men formerly in actual British SER
vice do not account for the entire mum
siser OF Indian troops as there have
been many small conTingents sent by
independent Indian princes. Germany
complained bitterly at the beginning
of the war because these non-ChristiaT
soldiers were brought to fight against
Christians in Europe, No longer has
she any complaint on this score, as the
Indians are now opposing Germany's
own non-Christian ally.
Not only have the Indians proved
faithful and efficient in the war, but
at home there has been complete
absence OF agitation against British
rule. Considering the unrest and dis
content which existed prior to the wal
this is remarkable. On the whole In
dia has done so well by Britain that
when the war is over she may demand
with assurance that larger measure of
respect and honor which is the dream
OF intelligent and educated Indians o.
all creeds and tongues,