Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-13
TO ESTABLISH
INDIAN REPUBLIC.
Germans and DisaHected Hin
docs Plan Great Blow
a.
at British.
CONSPIRACY. DISCLOSED
British Troops in Bengal Were
to Be Overpowered and 49,
City Sacked.

W.
Germans and disaffected Hindoos plot
ted to establish an Indian republic.
or a Turkish-India. after o~verpowering
the British troops in Bengal and sack
ing this city has just been disclosed
by Sir Reginald Craddock to the I'M
perial Legislative Council at Delhi.
Replying to charges that the Defense
of India Act was being used for pur-
poses not connected with tho war, he
said: -tS.
The paper I hold in my hands Is a
statement by a young man who be-.
came an anarchist at the age OF six
teen. and contains all the chief Incl
dents of his career during the last ten
years.
Fl has described arrangements for
causing a rising in this country In
communication with the enemy. r
will read an extract: Il
I've were extremely anxious to
keep our plans as secret as possible
up to the last moment as our success
depended solely on taking the gov
unawares. Numerically we
thought we were sufficiently strong
enough to DEAL with the troops in. Call
cutta and Eriigal.
EXPECTED 10000
ZEN TO JOIN THEM.
THE only thing we feared was re-
endorsements from the other parts Of
India before we were sufficiently
strong. We had expectations of about
$4,000 men joining in the first rising;
they were to join us from all parts
of Bengal.
THE idea was that tho Calcutta
party was first to take possession OF
all the arms and arsenals round about
Calcutta, and only when we were ab1c
to equip the whole of our number
with arms we were to attack Fort
William and sack the town of Cal.
cutta. -
The German officers were to- be-
kept in Eastern Bengal to train and
raise armies. All the fighting was to
be confined to Western Bengal, while
the three frontier parties hindercd
re-enforcements.
1--WE had decided to re-enforce these
utposts from time to time. though
we knew that they would not be able
to hold off the government troops for+
an indefinite period. All tina we
wished for was time to set together
sufficient men,
That Is the extract" said Sir Regi-
nald.
II will now read this extract from
another statement he continued: y
THE Mahometans are showing "a
tendency to side with Germany on ac-
count of the Turko-German alliance. In.
tho present war. The UNDER.
stand that half the population OF. India
Ctahomctans) are on their slde., and.
the other half are not so powerful,
and that they would gain a '.footinE".
if one party in this country Ia on their
side.
PROBABLY ENTERED ~..g
TREATY WITH TURKEY.
witt this end in view. probably
they have entered into a treaty WIFE
Turkey to the effect that they would
give India to Turkey. Germany has =
changed her attitude very likely for
this reason. and for this reason only
She is not sticking to her terms, L
believe that tho number of Turkish,
spies is very great among tho Ma
hometans. :
NOW. ii we intend to look after
our internal affairs. We must first think
over the "Mahomctan problem" We.
WuSl Judge WnelneT DOtn the parties
would by any means stand on a COM.
mon basis of Indian nationalism." If
that is not possible. 1t is necessary to
deceive the Mahomctan with tact. On
tho other hand, we should let the Ger
mans know off necessary, false owl.
dence is to be adduced) that both the
parties have united In order TO bring.
about a revolution in our country; that
everything regarding the provisional
government has been settled; that it
will be a republic" and that the ma
jority would be Mahometans. etc. We
must also he on the lookout TO see that
Germany does not play off one party
against the other
If" Sir Reginald concluded. you
could visualize the population Of India
depicted on a map. the conspirators-
VIII be found to be ii small speck
among tho millions that inhabit this.
land. But small though that speck,
may be. | Will not say ono word to
minimize its blackness.'
ta