The Washington herald., 1922-01-22
Dominion Status for India,
Insists Gaudni at Bombay
Will Not Abate Demands at Projected Round.
Table Conference With British,
He Declares.

The past week bas seen in India
another conference which may
prove to have been of considerable
Importance. This was a conference
at Bombay, summoned by the Pundit
Malaviya and several other non
party leaders. with the object OF
bringing improvement in India's po-
litical situation. About 200 dele
gates, representative of all shades
of opinion. attended. Mohandas
Gandhi, the nonco- o-operationist
leader. was present and addressed
the gathering. Gandhi expressed
himself as being willing to attend
round table conference. IL one
were called by the viceroy. but
wanted a change of heart on the
part of the government. A resolu-
tion favoring a round table confer
ence was finally passed. The opin-
ion was expressed that, pending
the result of such a conference, po-
litical prisoners should be released.
''hartals," or boycotts. should be
abandoned. and picketings and civil
disobedience should cease. Gandhi
said that he was prepared to per-
suade his following to cease hostile
actions IL the prisoners were re-
leased, and II the round-table con-
ference began before January 81.
He also stated that, IL a conference
took place. he would not change
his demands, but would Insist upon
seif-government for India on do
minion basis. The willingness OF
Gandhi to participate in a confer
ence with the viceroy must be
counted sign OF progress, al
though it Is hardly to be expected
that the government will agree to
release political prisoners before
the conference.
Madras Riots Trivial.
The rioting in Madras upon the
arrival there of the Prince OF Wales
appears to have been OF little I'M
portance The prince. according TO
reports, was very well received.
Yet it Is not without significance
that. in spite of Gandhfs instruc
tions for peaceful nonco-operation.
violence is occasionally resorted to.
This phenomenon must surely have
some effect on Gandhrs attitude.
Indeed. it is about time that he be-
came convinced of the fact that, no
matter how peaceful he and those
he controls may be, there is large
element in India not holding his
views, but willing to make use OF
his campaign to further their own
interests.
The Mohammedans of India ac-
knowledge no religious compulsion
to use only peaceable means in at
tanning their political ends. Mo-
hammed spread his doctrine by the
sword. and his followers have. done
likewise. Accordingly, we may be
quite sure that the Mohammedans
of India are cooperating with
Gandhi merely as a matter of ex-
pediency, not as a matter of con-
viction. They hope to make use
of Gandhi and his movement. What
would happen II the British should
completely withdraw their super
visory power from India as a result
Of Gandhfs nonco- o-operationist
movement? Would thea Moslem
forces then abstain from Ill resort
to force. or would they abandon
their unnatural restraint and take
charge of the country by the use
of arms while the more benevolent
Hindus were planning only peace:
Would Gandhi prefer Mohammedan
rulers to British? What chance
would nonco-operationist methods
have with Mohammedan rulers in
charge? 1t is not unlikely that
Gandhi begins to see that the Mo-
hammedan program for rehabilita-
tion of the Caliphate is not perma-
nently harmonious with his move
ment and aspirations.
At Delhi during the past week the
Indian Legislative Assembly adopt
ed an address welcoming the Prince
of Wales and declaring that the leg
islatures of India were devoting
themselves to making representa-
tive government a success with the
view of demonstrating their capac-
ity for working representative in
stitutions and in the hope that the
full measure of responsible govern
ment would follow. xThe tone of
the resolution was Indicative of
reasonable attitude which is prom
ising.
1t must be remembered that In
dia is vast country. or group of
countries, with Q great mixture Of