Evening star., 1924-03-02

" HE following is a brief sum-
mary of the most important
news of the world for the
seven days ended March J..
x :; !: ::
The British Empire.-The British
dock strike is over. On behalf of the
labor government, Lord Oliver. sec
retary of state for India. made an i'm
portant statement to the lords the
other day respecting India. His gov
ernment he announced would not per-
NIT round-table conference in India
to discuss mediate complete auton-
omy for that country as demanded by
the majority Of the Legislative council
at Delhi. British policy, he asserted,
cherished no less sincerely than do the
Indian Swarajlsts (home rulers) the
idol Of responsible dominion govern
ment for India. But all in good time.
1t does not purpose to ruin all by
precipitancy. The noble lord pointed
out that the law instituting the pres
ent constitution of India provides for
creation of q royal commission IN
1929 to examine the workings of the
diarchy system and to recommend ap-
! D
Swarajists' passionate assertion that
the British have no rights in India,
he summoned from the tomb of the
late government familiar conservative
spirits to inform his arguments. why.
exclaimed my lord "a conservative
imp, whispering in his ear and my
lord repeating), but for the British
Raj there'd be no such thing AZ Il
Swarajist; only the British raj made
possible the conception OF united
V~I n
ception, sure enough: but not to be
realized before a secure basis OF CO.
operation between Moslems ana Hill
dus of India has been established. nor
before, through gradual education un. 4.
der British auspices. the difficult art
of self-government has been acquired
by the Indians. Cooperation hitherto
between Hindus and Moslems has
been fallacious. Should the British
raj be withdrawn now India would
revert to chaos, hopelessly so. 1t Is In
teresting to compare these statements
urged by the spokesman Of the labor
government with the opposite senti-
ments set forth In manifesto recent.
" issued by the national nation councf, froT od
which party the labor government
springs. whether the Indian policy
Of the lobor government (Which
is merely continuation OF the con-
|servatfve policy is sincere or only eX-
pediential, must be left to conjecture.
1t is certain that the assertion of a
different policy would bring the gov
ernment down a crash. Britain Is not
yet of a temper to repudiate the work
Of Olive, Outram, the Lawrences, SO
many heroes.
A capital city for the common
wealth Of Australia is now a-build-
Ing, named Canbera, on land ceded
by the state of New South wales
for a federal district. The district
is of 500 square miles. a beautiful
rolling country embracing Jervis bay,
one Of the finest harbors I'm the
world. Visible in the far distance,
blue mountains. Canbera is seventy
miles inland and about 200 miles
south of Sydney. 1t is laid out after
plans by Walter Burley Griffin OF
Chicago, the general scheme obvi-
ously suggested by Washington, the
park system even more generous.
Already the capitol building is near
completion and the next federal par
Lament Is to be held in Canbera. The
Duntroon Royal Military College, an
Australian West Point. has been es-
| tablished there for some time and
the Royal Australian Naval College
is on Jervis bay.
Evidently Canbera. is to be worthy
Of Australia and It 10 conceivable
that Premier Bruce aid not out
raSeously exaggerate when he told