Arizona republican., 1917-01-26
ANCIENT DELHI AGAIN SCENE 1T
 INDIAN POMP
Republican A. p. ueased Wircl

GPepubican A. p. leased Wrcl
 DELHI, India, Jan. This ancient city, which for centuries has played such an important part in the annals of India, has again been the scene of q history making event. Forty powerful Indian princes and chiefs, rulers over great territories and re- presenting untold wealth and influ- ence, have been meeting here in con ference at the invitation of the Vice roy, to consider questions of general importance to their states and people. and to render advice requested by the British government on certain matters. Thus a notable precedent has been established, for. while two very small conferences have been held previously for the discussion of problems relating to the higher colleges for the educa- tion of chiefs sons. never before have general subjects affecting the native states as a whole come up for debate.
 Both princes and British officials. with many of whom a correspondent of the Associated Press has talked at tach great significance to this con ference which bids fair to become a fixed annual event Heretofore the princes have maintained that their sovereign dignity precluded their dis cussing the affairs of their states with other rulers
 One possibility that IS being widely discussed, although with considerable reserve at the moment, it that these annual conferences may ultimately de- Velop into a council which will have voice in the government of the empire as a whole, Just q hint of this was contained in the address of welcome delivered by the Niceroy at the open ing of the sessions.
 1t may be- said Lord Chlmsford. that in time to come q constitutional conferences which will take it's place in the government of this great em- pire, but for the moment 1 would say to you to content yourselves with the prosaic but useful task of advisins the government of Indla on certain specific matters
 Great weight also is attached to the fact that so many of the rulers should meet at the invitation of the Niceroy at this crucial time in the history of the world war. Their mere presence in the capital city IS interpreted as a ] tribute of loyalty to England, and in addition to this an unqualified state mont of adherence 10 the throne was made in the name of the conference 1 by the Maharaja Gaekwar of Baroda | during his answer to the closing 1 speech of the Niceroy. In concluding his address the Maharaja turned to- 1 ward the representative of the crown and said:
 Further, We desire with sincere emphasis, that your eXcellency will convey to his most gracious majesty ! the king emperor warm assurances of our answering loyalty to his I august person and to the throne
 This is said to he the direct con- traGiction Of statements which have | been widely published that the ruling | princes of India were impatient of the l bonds that bound them to the Britisi empire. Numerous princes with whom the correspondent talked characterized such reports az unqua'ifiedly false. J B. Wood. political secretary for the government of India. whose offic, deals ayith questions relating to thu native states. said: If any contra diction of such libels were needed il might be found in this conference. fol fail to see how anyone could have misgiVings regarding the loyalty oi the princes and heir devotion to the king emperor after seeing this gather ing.
 As a matter of fact it is super fluous to speak about their loyalty It is proverbial; and it is at momen | or stress Ilkt the present when ] | stands forth most prominently
 have heard it said that Germany hai tried to tamper with the loyalty of tn, Indian princes, but it is abundant. clear that whatever intrigues hav' been set on foot have met with m success, since not a single ruler ha shown a sign of waVering or ha omitted to give proof of his loyalt. and devotion to the crown
 The proceedings of the conferenc were secret but were stated to hay been very satisfactory. considerinl the fact that nothing of the sort hat ever been held before. Some of tn most interesting rulers in the empir attended. Among them were tn Gaekwar of Raroda, ruler over nor that two millions of people, who be sides offering his troops and all tn resources of his state to the king emperor for war service, has 9ivel some 32. 900 pounds for aeroplanes ant is contributing in other ways toward the expenses of the war. the MaharaJ; Scindia of GwalioT. who has sent tW' regiments of infantry on service an' whose contributions in money and ma terial have aggregated well over quarter of million pounds; tn Maharaja of Kosapur direct descend ant of Siyaji, the great Maharatt leader: the Maharaja of Jaipur, on of the old fashioned Rajput princes whose loyalty and generosity are sal to be household words; the Maharaj of Bikaner, whose corps has don yeoman service in Egypt and wh served on General Sir John French staff in France; the Rao of Cutcf [ who from his lonely island on tn western coast IS sending 36 GOO pound faY 0rE he war the Maharajas of Kashmir, In dore, Patiala, Alwar, and Kapurthals the Naval of Mailer Kotla and tn I;aja of Sirmur, whose imperial ser vice troops are fighting in the variou theaters of war; the Begun of Bhopa the Woman ruler, who is lillened { Queen Victoria in that she has de voted her life to the service of he people and of the empire; the Mahar ajas of Jodhpur Kishengarh and Ida the Jam of Nawanagar and the Ran of Barwani. who served for some tim in the field in France; and other. such as the chiefs of Kotah, Dha, Datia and Benares. who have rendere nota hle assistance to England sine | the war began.
 The cOnferees presented a quair mixture of the Oriental and Europea in their manner of dress. Some wit the more advanced ideas wore tn conventional apparel of London c
 New York, with the exception that a
 retained some form of that necessar symbol-the urban; others appeare
 in the robes of their native state
 One thing they had adopted in com
 mon: nearly every prince and chic was well supplied with his own motot and the conference brought to Dell
 some of the finest high-power cal