Evening star., 1925-07-17
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL y. COLLINS.

Daily dispatches have much to say
concerning the unrest in China. Young
China. led by the student body, is in
revolt against interference by foreign
ers with Chinese autonomy. Danger
| to the peace of the world is seen in
the situation. fostered by the Soviet
mischief-makers of Russia. China S
400 900 200, once aroused, would men.
ace the world.
But what Of the unrest in India,
with its 247 900. 900 conquered natives
ruled by the English and 72 900 900
others ruled by native princes? There
Is unrest in India Of longer standing
| than that of the student upheaval in
the vast country to the north. India
has been listening to Mahatma Grandi
the prophet of passive resistance. with
| incorporation with the British Off.
cials, but no relief has come through
Gandi's program of passivity.
What will India do, after Gandi's
| failure Is fully recognized? That is
an issue which alarms British states.
men. Britain Is already the chief tar.
get of dissatisfaction in China, the
chief objective of the Soviet disturb
ers. 1t is foreseen that the enemies of
Great Britain in China will seek 10
foment trouble for her, also, in India.
With the combination of 400, 900, 900
Chinese and 3l9, 100000 Indians in
possible open revolt within the next
few months, the British are facing the
greatest crisis Of the century
Soviet Trotsky is quoted as already
gloating over his prediction of the
speedy collapse Of the British Empire.
Civilization is less eager than the
Soviets to let loose the hordes of Asia
and Russia, whose leaders cry for
! anarchy in every constitutional gov.
ernment in the world.
y y
The Indians are crying for nation
alism, even more vigorously than are
| the Chinese students and strikers
| This Indian demand is more deeply
seated than is generally appreciated
outside of India; 1t Is not merely
the product of the agitation OF
Gandhi. There is a breaking up OF
old traditions and the caste system
Is wearing away, under the influence
Of modernism.
X y X
Is IN a position to form an inde-
pendent republic, since, unlike China
there Is too much diversity of peoples
religions and languages for any
| homogeneity OF government. 1t is
that weakness which has made II
possible for a few English officials
| to govern the vast region for CEN
| tury by offsetting the power of cor
| tain races with the opposing power
| Of others.
To picture the situation, imagine a
| territory two-thirds as large as tha,
| of the United States in which we
would attempt to legislate for go.
| 900, 900 Spaniards in New England
| 100000 French in New York
State. 10000. .0e0 Germans in the Cen
| traI States, 100, 900, 900 Mexican poems
| in the Mississippi Valley, 10000, ,00(
Chinese in the Midwest and 100,
10000 of minor tribes-includine
such as are designated "crimina
tribes"-crowding into the rest of oul
| territory. And of all this conglomer-
| alton of races, not more than pei
cent are able to read, and no race
capable of understanding any Ian
| guage but it's own, except a smatter-
| ing OF English picked up by few
Furthermore, the 200, 0,000,0 900 Hindus
despise the so,000,000 Moslems and
the castles have no dealings with each
other; for, although 1t Is claimed
that caste is dying out, 1t must no,
be misunderstood as having vel
| passed. India is today In the same
state as was Europe just before the
Renaissance.
| X X X
| English statesmen claim that II
England should withdraw from India
| the immediate result would be, not
an Indian republic, but an UPRISING o:
| the Sikhs, followed by revolts by the