The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-05-31
DEMAND SfRONC
 INDIAN POLICY
BY LORD SYDENHAM

That grave troubles were impending 2 | in India everyone who had personal Knowledge of the forces at work and who endeavored to follow events was | well aware; but no one could pre- dict when or where outbreaks would | occur. The war inevitably created a vague feeling of unrest in the minds of the excitaIble and extraordinarily | credulous masses, the vast majority | of them who do not to this day un- derstand what has actually happened. In the bazaars and villages 1t was probably believed that some great | change of rulers was at hand, and | such changes are deeply embedded | in the old traditions of India. Our British public at home, ill-in- formed and preoccupied, was deeply impressed with the gallant deeds of our Indian soldiers on many fields, | with the generous contributions of | the princes and chiefs to war funds. and with protesetations of loyalty which were accepted without discrim- nation. Significant symptoms passed unobserved. Yet there were ample causes for anxiety, and never was the need for wise and steady government so imperative.
 The liberal reforms of Lords Mot ley and Minto were not seven years old when & group of Indian members | of the Viceroy's Council of whom half were lawyers. took advantage of the war and suddenly presented a new scheme impracticable in any country, but capable of being used as basis for agitation. It would have been easy to announce that when the Empire was fighting for it's life such
 matters could not be considered. Con sessions to clamor had. however. be-
 come a habit. which in the East Is peculiarly dangerous.
 Mir. Montagu. in answer to an ordin- ary question In the House of Com mons, made an unexpected announce men of far-reaching importance, which, in the circumstances, could | not have been discussed in the Cab met He then proceeded to India, and after a tour of some of the great | towns with the viceroy, during which | special attention was paid to the ad- vanced politicians, a joint report was produced embodying, as the Times had justly stated, "a great deal of dreamy and dangerous nonsense.' Racial Animosity Aroused. The proceedings of the Secretary | of State and the publication of this ] most contentious report before the ! Cabinet had learned it's contents were | exactly calculated to arouse intense excitement among the small body of "political-minded" persons who con- ! trol or aspire almost the whole of the Indian Press. As 94 per cent of | the people are illiterate, have no de- sire for any political change, and could not understand the Montagu- Chelmsford proposals, the agitator in
 India naturally turns to the creation | of racial auinosity.
 | The extent to which this process | was permitted at a critical time is
 a measure of the failure of the Sec
 rotary of State snd the Indian Gov ernment to grasp the realities of the
 situation. A stream of caulmny di- f rected against British rule and Brit | ish officials was allowed to flow un- | checked. and when Mrs. Besant, the | titular head of the Home Rule Gov | ernment, who had grievous1y offend | ed, was interned in her own house | the Madras Government was overrul- | ed, while other editors arrogated to themselves a perilous license. Even the cinema was used to present the | British people in contemptible light. Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the ablest administrator in India, who had han
 dled a. most dangerous conspiracy | in the Punjab with conspicuous suc- Oco6, wdS puDiiCly Icbuhco lOI SpCdh- ing the plain truth.
 Thus it came to be believed that the Government was so weak and disunited to be easily squeasa- ble, and the moderate Indians, in timidated by violent language, either joined the extremists or retired to their tents in despair.
 The results were that riots oc-
 cured in the presidency capitals, and subsequently at Delhi, due in each
 case to the action of political agita- tors. who were able to utilize the rise of prices for their purposes. It remained only for the Government of India to take some step which could be represented as a blow against l the liberties of the masses in order that "open rebellion might become easily attainable.
 The RowIatt Bill.
 The Rowlatt Committee, which | contained two able Indians. in making | public for the first time the ram- | ifications of an anarchia1 conspiracy which has led to murder and rob- bery on a large scale. recommended legislation necessary to maintain public | order. to prevent assassinations lat | terly directed against Indian officials | and to stop Dacoities from which Indians alone suffered. The Viceroy pointed out in grave language the vitai need for the Bill: but a con-
 cession limiting 1t to three years was | quickly forthcoming, and proved fu-
 tile as a peace offering. The discus
 sion was freely resorted to, ana fIn- | ally all the Indian members of Coun- l cil voted against the Bill. which some | of them are believed at heart to fav- | or.
 ! The Extremists' Opportunity. Here was the chance of the extreme
 and dominant party, which, with the | machinery for a propaganda ready | to hand, could denounce the "Black Act" as an instrument passed by a | foreign government for the oppression | of the masses who were absolutely unaffected, and when a passive resis- | tance movement was inaugurated | rioting was certain.
 | We do not yet know all that has | occurred: but the total loss of life and the material damage must be Iconsfderablo. The Pun5ab. always a
 l.