Arizona republican., 1917-01-30
INDIAN POLITICS
 CROW IMPORTANT
[RepubIican A. P.- Leased Wire]

prominence in India of late, due large
 ly. according to the general expression
 of opinion, to the fact that the war
 has shown the people of this country
 their importance to the rest of the
 empire, thereby arousing their aspira-
 tions for progress. Naturally the sub
 iect of ultimate home-rule occupies a
 large place in the thoughts of the Indian politician, few of the so-
 called ultra radicals even advocating
 the immediate granting of some form of self government.
 The question of what the British government ought tot do and intends
 to do towards bestowing further poli- tical powers on the Indian, and of how
 much immediate advance the Indian himself is capable of making. are be- ing generally and eagerly discussed. A correspondent of the Associated Press has discussed these questions | with scores of prominent Europeans
 and Indians during the past few ! months. Some extremely radical views were encountered. but the majority of | those who expressed an opinion met
 on certain common grounds which
 are well summarized in an interview with the Rev. J. C. R. Ewing, the well known American educator, who for the past seven years has occupied the inn portant post of vice chancellor or president. of the University of the Pmjab Dr. Ewing is the only Ameri- can who has ever been accorded so
 high an honor in India as was | bestowed upon him when he was made head of this university to direct the 1 activities of twentNSeVen affiliated 1 colleges in the province, with their student population of some l2.000. As mark of appreciation for his services
 to this country he was decorated by
 the king in 1fli, beng made Compan-
 ion of the Indian Empire. He has
 m: de a deep study of political uues- tions in India and not infrequeatlv has been corsulted hv government officials on delicate matters of policy.
 Dr. Ewing expressed the belief that
 home rule for India was inevitable but declared that the country was not | prepared for it at the moment and
 would not be ready for this important
 step for many "ears to come.
 When the British government at
 the time of Lord Macaulay introduced western education into India, it opened | the door for self government" said
 the Doctor. Such a step. involving
 the teaching of democratic ideals. | could have no other result. It was l the crossing of the Ruhicon, and there
 is no turning back. To do the British | government jusice, believe that they
 made this move with ,he full l<nowl-
 edge of what the outcome must be.
 and that they have always had in
 mind the ultimate granting of home l rule to the people of Hindustan.
 There are. of course, various shades of opinion among both Europeans and
 Indians as to the speed towards which
 the home rule goal should be ap- | preached The great bulk of the peo- ole of India are illiterate. something | like 9i per cent, according to the latest statistics but among the other
 six per cent there are many highly
 educated and brilliant men who could
 He called upon to play their part in 1 government. Home rule can never be-
 one an accomplished fact until q
 a4ned ocdr of Indians has been { Ted ID. And in order to achieV.-
 his. one of the most important steps
 Ti.l ie he opening up of the civil 1 Seiviee to e still greater extent to the educated Indian. Not only must | this bc done, but Indian and British 1 government employees must be placed on the same footing and must learn | to work in close cooperation.
 Foreigners in considering home rule 1 for India often make the mistake of ! looking upon India as q nation. As d matter of fact, Hndustan represents many races and many languages ard
 in the process of unification there are l as many difficulties to ne overcome as ! there would be for instance, in an at
 tempt to bring all inc various coun- | tries of north and south America under one government.
 Moreover, the average Indian of 1 the so-called iliterate class knows
 nothing of politics and takes no inter
 est in problems of government. He is
 mainly concerned with his own little | personal matters, and so long as con- ditions of government favor him in | the pursuit of his affairs it makes i small difference to him what that ! government is or what shape is takes The ideas of democracy are entirely 1 foreign to the bulk of India For end i less centuries. until the assumption of | British rule, the people were governed 1 as a conquered race. and so thorough | ly has the idea of subjection been in stilled that ii will be exceedingly hard | for them to break away from the be- 1 lief that they can have no voice in | governing themselves But all this is 1 bound to change gradually with the l spread of general education.
 l one great stumbling block in the way of democracy is the fact that the | ndian never has learned tC bow to the ! will of the majority. This may be 1 seen wherever bodies of Indians come | together for the discussion of matters | of mutual interest. Opinion is divided 1 along nartisan lines. family, racial | and religious ties playing an import ant part in the division. The fact thas 1 the majority decide that certain things ! are for the best mea ns nothing to the minority. and a split of the body into ! two or more factions is almost inevit.. able. This characteristic is something. 1 that must be overcome before any success can be achieved in the mat ter of popular government.
 There are numerous other features
 which present obstacles to the home
 rule advocates. We have two great
 religious bodies-the EIindus and Mo- hammedans-whose interests at pres- ent are largely at variance with each
 other. Some Indian politicians will
 tell you the claim that Hindus and | MohammedianS cannot work in har-
 mony is a pure faIlacy: hut to one
 who has spent many years in India
 and has made a deep study of these questions. it seems an almost self ] evident fact that the chasm to be | bridged between these two bodies is
 wide and deep. Ultimately, through q
 process of education, Hindus and Mo-
 hammedans will be drawn together
 into close enough political bonds SC
 that they can work in unison for the common good. We have seen similar
 conditions in the past history of many
 countries, and while the question of | religion at the moment is most im-
 portant one. vet I do not feel that it is ] a permanent barrier in the way oi political progress for India.
 IA