Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-03-07
TBy Associated PrsssI

TIE StUeIdi -eNpIesSlOu Vi OnLIllDu, ~
the fact that the war has shown the
people OF this country their impJr.
tanee TO the rest of the empire, there.
/ by arousfng their aspirations for prog.
ress. Naturally the subject of ultt
naate home rule occupies large place
in the thoughts OF the Indian politi.
clan. few Of the so-called uitra-raii-
Gals even advocating the immediate
granting Of some form OF selEgoVern-
ment .~-...
American Highly Honored
The questions OF what the British
government ought to do and intends TO
do towards bestowing further political
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 ma
Jerity of those who expressed an opin-
ion met on certain common grounds
which are we'll summarized in an in.
teryiew with the Rev. DR.. J. C. Ewing,
the well known American educator,
who fer the past seven years has tccH-
pied the important post of yice-chan-
eeilor, or president, of the University
of the Punjab DR. Ewing is the only
American who has ever been accorded
so high an honor In India as was be-
slowed upon him when he was made
head of this university to direct the
activities of % affiliated colleges In
the province. with their student popu-
lation of some 10000. AS mark of
appreciation for his services to this
country he was decorated by the King
in 1914. being made Companion of the
Indian Empire. He has made a deep
study of political questions in India
and not infrequently has been consult
ed by government officials on delicate
matters of policy.
Deems Home Rule Inevitable
DR.. Ewing expressed the belief that
home-rule for India was inevitable,
but declared that The country was not
prepared for 1t at the moment and
would not be ready for this important
step for many years to come.
When the British Government at
the time of Lord Macaulay introduc-
ed Western education into India II
opened the door for self-goYernment,
said the doctor. "Such step, inyoly-
ing the teaching of democratic ideals,
could have no other result 1t was the
crossing of the Rubicon, and there is
no turning back To do the British
government Justice, believe that it.
made this move with the full knoWl-
edge of what the outcome must be,
and that it has always had in mind
the ultimate granting of home-rule to
the people of Hindustan.
There are, OF course, various
shades OF opinion among both Euro
peans and Indians as to the speed
towards which the home-rule goal
should be approached. The great bulk
Of the people of India are illiterate,
something like "a per cent, according
TO the latest statistics, but among the
other six per cent there are many
highly educated and brilliant men who
could be called upon to play their part
In government. Home-rule can never
become an accomplished fact until a
trained body Of Indians has been rails
ed up. And in order to achieve this,
one of the most important steps will
be the opening up of the civil service
to stiH greater extent to the educat-
ed Indian. Not only must this be
done but Indian and British govern
ment employees must be placed on the
same footing and must learn to work
In close cooperation.
India Not Nation
Foreigners In considering home
rule for India often make the mistake
Of looking upon India as q nation. As
q matter Of fact. Hindustan represents
many races and many languages, and
In the process Of ratification there are
rs many difficulties to be overcome as
there would be. for instance, in an
attempt 20 bring all the various eoun-
tries OF North and South America UNI
der one government.
Moreover, the average Indian OF |
the so-ealled illiterate. class knows
nothing of politics and takes no inter
est In problems of government. He Is /,
mainly concerned with his own little /
matters, and so long as con- /
ditions of government favor him in /
the pursuit OF his affairs it makes
small difference to him what that gov
eminent is or what shape it takes.
Lcrn Subject Race
The ideas of democracy are entire /
y foreign to the bulk OF India. For
endless centuries, until the assump-
lion Of British rule, the people were
governed as conquered race, and so
thoroughly has the idea of subsection
been instilled that it viii be exceed
lngly hard for them to break away
rom the belief that they can nave mol
voice in governing themselves. I.ut
ali this is bound to change gradually
with the spread of general education.
One great stumbling block in tue
way Of democracy is the fact tha. the
indian never has learned to row to
he VIII of the majority This may be
'een wherever bodies of Indians come
together for the discussion # mat
ers OF mutual interest Opinion is
divided along partisan lines, family,
'acial and religious ties playing an
important part in the division. The
act that the majority decide that GER
ain things are for the best means