New-York tribune., 1918-04-28
Germany Built on
Foolish Assumption
Whv did Il. fail2

Why did it fail?
Because Germany assumed that co.
100000 Moslems in India and the entire
population of Afghanistan would hy
to arms on behalf of the Sultan of
Turkey, who claimed to be the Caliph,
and were stupid enough not to see that
the Moslem world is divided into sects
no less bitter against each other than
Christians themselves, and that Far
Eastern Islam will no more acknowl-
edge the spiritual supremacy of the
Turk than an Orangeman will that Of
the Pope.
Because Germany made it plain from
the very moment she invaded Belgium
that subject peoples might easily pre-
fer to be ruled by the devil rather than
the Kaiser and that the British were
actually fighting for India.
1t failed so utterly that as far back
as April, 1916, Austen Chamberlain.
then Secretary of State for India, was
moved to give out statement praising
atty of the Indians, princes and people
alike, which ended with these words:
"India. instead of being q cause Of
anxiety, has been a substantial help to
the empire in time of need. She was
able to send troops to aid in the great
Battle of Ypres in those critical days
when the Germans were striving to
reach Calais. She has also sent troops
to Egypt, Gallipoli, East Africa, Meso-
potamia, Persia and China. No less
than twenty-one regiments OF lndian
cavalry and eighty-six battalions OF In
dian infantry, in addition to the troops
placed at the disposal of the govern
ment by the rulers of the Indian native
states, have been fighting the battles q
the empire far beyond the Indian boz
ders.
"These have been dispatched eem'
pletely equipped, and, in addition
drafts more than filling up the vacan.
cies caused by casualties have beea
regularly forwarded. And the people o.
India, Sepoys and Maharajas, vlllageY
and highly educated public men, haw
given their support because they e.
deeply convincW that in this var MS
British Empire Is fighting in Just az ssa
righteous cause. The Indian, peops
have high sense of right and Wrohs, lSIa.
They saw that in this war the Ali,es
were in the right. and they regarded
the cause of the Allies as the cause %
India" :,
The foundations of the Hindu PIC.
were laid long before the beginning o.
the World War. There had been .ns .ns
same manifestations of unrest whloa
preceded the instruction in lrelsnu'
There were demands for an Indian Con.
gress with enlarged powers for nons
rule; there were literary groups ~
parently concerned with revivals Of les
ters in the native tongues. And .a'
old Prussian trick of Exchange plo.,
fessors" was being employed to exte"
and solidify propaganda in Ameriu
To Har Dayal must be ascribed ~ w.
doubtful honor of having been ~
first leader of the Hindu consplrN.
in this country. At one time proissss'
of Hindu philosophy IN LELAND stsa
ford University, Har Dayal was ,o,, q
rested in Sacramento in March, lyia ~
charged with being an undeslras.
alien and therefore subject TO depos'e :
ton. =.
OF course, the plot continued, ~
that was the period of painful mem..,
to all Americans those days. when
were urged to be neutral in thoues'
IS we'll as deed. But the conspiracy
talked too much, published too mss s.s,
about their plans. There were 10 Ia. Ia.
been rIsings in Lahore, umballa' M w.
rut and other cantonments Of sNa.s nsss
was to take place in the Punjab ana ~
the northwest frontier provinces
February q. 1915. Sepoys at hon ~.
kong and Singapore were TO be sv
rupted by German money ana w s.s
to mutiny. But full week oeisr
February 2l certain of the Germs eh.s
Hindus fell into snares laid for VA. IasS
by that admirable secret service wn Tnsr
Kipling has so we'll described. lS
confessed. and eighty-one arrests Ia "a
lowed. In due time six men were MA -
found guilty and executed; one ~
sentenced to transportation foE "a
and divers others were sent to JAZZ ss'sl
longer or shorter terms. |