The Washington herald., 1922-02-20

TyENTS of great importance and interest with
=. regard to the situation in India have been
taking place recently. These include: The inahg-
uration of Mohandas Gandhps campaign OF civil
dsobedience" the speech of Mr.. Montagu, Secre-
tary of State for India, on February 9 in which
he declared there was cause for grave but con-
hdent, anxiety" concerning Indian affairs; the meet
ing of Gandhi with the Pundit MADAM NOLAN
Malaviya who urged Candhi to delay his civil
disobedence" campaign; the issuance by the India
Office of statement that the government intended
to adopt stern measures to suppress the civil dis
obedience" campaign followed by the report OF an
order for the arrest of Candhi mot carried out),
the ADOPTION Of resolution by the Working Com
mittee of the National Congress deploring the out
break at Chauri- Chaura in which seventeen native
police were killed by rioters; the postponement by
Gandhi and the National Congress OF the begin
ming of the campaign of civil disobedience"; the
sn.ecb Of Premier Lloyd George in Parliament in
which he stated the strong policy OF the Indian
government would be supported and in which ne
explained the unrest in India originally caused
by contact of the East with the West through the
acquiring of Western political ideas by students
from the East; the imposition by Gandhi on HIM
self of the penance Of hve-day last on account
of the outbreak at Chaur-Chaura which he IN
terprets as a warning from God against the hasty
embark; ton on a campaign of mass keivil dsobed-
ence": the cancelling by Gandhi OF orders Tor
boycott upon the arrival OF the Princs OF Waies AZ
Delhi and the Princes enthusiastic welcome there
The calling-off of the campaign Of civil dis
obedience" by the Working Committee Of the
National Congress and by Candhi vas due, it is
said, to the belief that "the eountry's atmosphere
is :nsuficienty non-violent for mass civil dis
obedience This would indicate that the Nom
co-operationsts are beginning to see realities:
They are beginning to doubt their power to carry
through campaign Of resistance which Will not
be violent il that campaign is to AFFECT large
percentage of the population. The resolution post
ponins "ciyi disobedience" particularly mentioned
the occurrence Of violent riots indication OF the
inability of the people to refrain from violence at
present.
II i, possible, too, that the Hindu leaders in
n. Noneo-ooerstionist movement are beginning to
mistrust their Mohammedan allies in the anti-Brt-
ish csmoaign The Moslems have no eompuncton
AGAINST force but they are refraining because the
use of force would lose them the alliance of the
Hndus A. recent dispatch from India by one
correspondent told OF the plans Of Mohammedan
leaders for Mohammedan state in India. This
correspondent insists that the Mohammedans are
simply using the Hindus to help get rid Of British
rule thought voiced in these columns some time
ago. He says, once this was accomplished, the
Mohammedans would make themselves masters Of
India and the non-Vioient 'r1ihdus "ouu nho uheS
had changed from governing power which prom
;sed gradual extension of democratic institutions
to one of different sort, indeed 1t is not impos-
sible that the Hindu leaders are beginning to feel
somewhat the same way about the matter. Perhaps
they are commencing to realize that the Moslem
lion and the Hindu lamb are not likely to lie down
together unless the lamb is inside the ltn:
On the whole, may reasonable see hope
for a round table conference between representa-
tives of the Indian government and the Indian Ma
,ionalist leaders, with Gandhi as chief, with prom
Use of results.