The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-03-18
UNREST FLAMED
BY ARREST OF
NATIVE LEADER
prffish Action Stirs Revolt Which
Has Been Smouldering for
Centuries.

London. March 13.-Present dis
turbances in India are manifesto
tions of revolt against British rule
which have been smouldering
steadily, breaking forth now and
then in open revolution, since the
British first entered India in 1857.
Past reyolts usually have been To-
Called in limited sections OF India
or participated in by limited groups
of the population while the rest OF
the Hindustan peninsula remained
quiet.
India's vast popuIation-between
900. 00O, 900 and 400 900 ,000-is split
into half dozen racial groups and
a score OF widely varying religions:
Very rarely have these rival
groups been able to act together in
a concerted move against the Brit
fish and this has enabled Britain
to hold India in it's power with
comparatively small military force
Sepoy Mutiny.
The only widespread revolution
in recent times in which the major
ity of Indians took part and which
really threatened the British gov
tIuiucuI III 1Huld naS thC O~PN-
mutiny.
This began at Meerut, near Delhi,
MAY 10, 1857. Its immediate cause
was the furnishing of rifle cart
ridges creased with pork fat, to
Mohammedan troops. 1t is unlaw-
full for a Mohammedan to taste
pork.
The Sepoy mutiny was quelled in
June, 1858.
In the World war India remained
loyal to Britain and furnished much
aid in men and materials, despite
the alleged efforts of German
agents to stir up rebellion.
Causes of Unrest.
But since the close of the war,
several factors have been at work to
cause disaffection among the ma
opulation of all races and re-
among these are:
Economic distress which
shares with the rest of the
yo-Allied occupation of Con-
.tinople This has intensified
1hammedan hatred of Great Brit
AIN, as Constantiople is considered
a holy place.
Three-Succession a new amir
in Afghanistan, with very indepel-
dent and slightly anti-British ten
denotes.
Four-The cooperative and
passive resistance movement of
Mohandas Karamchanda Gandhi,
recently arrested for sedition.
Five-Alleged spreading of boil
shevist propaganda.
Strike Frequent.
These things to have kept India
in continual turmoil. Many strikes
took place in notably that of
textile workers at Bombay and that
of tram employees in Calcutta.
Armed Hprisings and riots also
have been frequent. The most i'm
portant was the Moplah uprising in
north India late in 1921. This was
crushed and six districts were
placed under martial law.
Since the war British govern
ment has made strong efforts to
pacify the peninsula.
The Earl of Reading, former
lord chief justice in England, was
sent to India as viveroy. One of his
first actions was TO confer with
Gandhi. nationalist leader.
The interview, however, bore lit
tie fruit, for Gandhi continued his
passive resistance activities.
Early in 1921 limited kind of
selfAgovernment went into effect in
India under the government of In
dia act.
New Laws Provisions.
India was allowed to have a ma
tional parliament, modelled along
the lines of the British parliament.
1t consisted of a council of state,
made up of princes and mobiles, cor
responding to the house of lords,
and legislative assembly, similar
to the house of commons.
This national parliament met
at Delhi and similar provincial par
liaments were set up in various
parts of India.
Some dissatisfaction was express
ed by natives because the viceroy
retained the right to veto any ac-
ton of the native parliament.
The great bulk of midas popula-
ton is made up of low caste petty
cultivators who take little part in
political activities and have little
political consciousness.
Political Parties.
Active political parties in India
today are:
misunderstanding OF Gand-
hf-s non-cooperationist followers to-
gether with radical direct-action
xevolutionists.
WORCESTERSHIRE want freedom
but are determined to get it by po-
litical action.
Intellectuals-Cons of high
caste Hindus and educated natives,
many of whom favor gradual re-
lease from British control by edu-
eating the people. Srinavasa Sas-
tri. British delegate to the Washing
ton arms conference, is representa-