Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-10
DOMINION STATUS
FOR INDIA IS SEEN
Simon Commission Reports
Recommendations to Be
Made June "a.
Nv the Associated Press.

problem in India was before the empire
today in as complete statement and
as exhaustive a form as it has ever
been presented: for recommendations
of the investigators for solution of that
problem it will be necessary to wait,
however, until June "a.
On that day the commission on
Indian statutory reform, headed by Sir
John Simon, will publish the second
volume of the report of their two and
ne-llalf years inquiry into Indian
affairs, the first volume Of the report
dealing with the situation being that
which was made public today.
F, Progress of Women Cited.
Observers believe that the recon-
| mendations, which will remain as Q
closely guarded state secret until re-
leased, will be considered liberal from
the British viewpoint. One possibility
advanced was that the commission
! would recommend dominion status for
India within definite number Of years.
One of the most interesting sections
of the report deals with progress of
| women in India, and 1t is remarked that
the progressive movement for Indian
women holds the key of progress; the
results 1t may achieve are ncalculably
| great"
There was, in the final paragraph of
today's offering, perhaps, a promise OF
what the second volume-of recommen-
dations-will contain. The commits
sioners, concluding, declared: The
British people, so long accustomed to
f-government. are bound to synpa-
thize with this movement (1ndian
| nationalism).
Pledged to Aid India.
I'VE are pledged to help India along
| her way, and constructive effort is
needed. In our view the most
formidable of the evils from which
India is suffering have their roots in
! social and economic customs of long
standing, which can only be remedied
by the action of peoples themselves.
They are much less likely to be
remedied If the blame for their con-
| tinuance can be put however reasonably,
on others.
I'VE desire to see the forces Of public
opinion which exist in India concen-
trated and strengthened for the prac-
| tical work of reform. It is only when
| the difficulties of constructive policy are
really faced that the inadequacy of gen.
eral phrases begins to be realized"
The first volume of the report is an
| exhaustive compendium of facts rang
| ing from discussion of population, racial
| and religious factors to treatment of
possibilities of "dyarchy," which is the
name given to the forms under which
the British rule while allowing as great
degree Of self-government as is pos
sible.
The report brings out that India has
about $4,000, 900 population In terri
| tory not 20 times as large as Great
Britain, that there are 222 vernaculars
spoken and that not 2,5o0,0o0 persons
| are literate in English which is the
| nearest to being an empire-wide Ian
| guage. Implacable enmity of Hindus,
| in a majority In India, and of Moham-
medans, a big minority, is treated at
length. The Christians, with $500, 900
converts, are credited with being the
third largest sect.
The country is described as being
| predominantly agricultural, although
to make it one of the eight large in
| dustrial areas in the world. The popu-
| lation is overwhelmingly rural, un-
| touched by politics and such movements
as nationalism; many even of those
| who live in the cities do so only In the
periods Of slack work on the farms.
| Present Suxerainty Plays Part.
1t is brought out that of the total of
| 100000 square miles In India approx
mately 700, 900 square miles, or more
than one-third of the whole, lie In the
independent Indian states, which, while
recognizing British suzerainty, are es-
sentially sovereign principalities. II is
stated emphatically that no future
scheme for India can fail to take these
native states and existing agreements
with them into full account.
| The report comments, with reference
| to the Dyarchial system, on the 1nfre-
| quency with which it has been neces-
sary for the British governments tc
| certify or veto legislation and declares
! that the Indian legislative assemblies
have had profound influence upon
acts of the governor general and gov
errors Of the provinces.
Especial attention was given by the
commissioners to the northwest from
tier province, which has been the scere
during the past few weeks of incursions
by neighboring tribesmen, who have
been told that British authority nc
longer exists The system by which
the army in India is recruited among
| natives and built around q British
nucleus also is discussed.
The final chapters of the report are
devoted to education which, it Is said
must be given further impetuS-and tt
development of public opinion. "Indiar
political thought finds it tempting tt
foreshorten history and is unwilling tt
wait for the final stage of a prolonged
evolution" 1t is said in one place. III
is impatient of the doctrine of gradual.
ness"
Members of Commission.
The commission, headed by Sir Johr
l hAefdAc ~ nj.
lowing: Viscount Burnham, Lord STRAIT
chona, G. @. Cadogan, M. P. Vernon
Hartshorn, Col. @. A. Lane Fox anC
Maj. c. r. Atlee, all members of Parlia'
ment. It was authorized in the gov.
eminent of India act of 1919 and made
two trips to India, travelling over 81 ,00(
miles.
While in India the ALI India Nationa
Congress, the Gandhi organization, anC
other Nationalist organizations boy
cotted it and considerable criticism wa!
directed toward it because it contained
no native members. The commission
and stressed that every opportunit.
was taken to avail themselves of native
opinion on every phase of the IndiaI
problem.
Their report makes it clear in its frs
. chapters that the principal premise o
their investigation was the declaration
in the Montagu-C Chelmsford report o
1918 and the succeeding government o.
, India act that the purpose of Parlia
ment was ito provide for the increasing
association of Indians in every branch
of Indian administration and for thu
gradual development of self-governinI
institutions with view to the pro
: gressive realization Of responsible gov
eminent in British India as an integra
J part of the empire"
CONGRESS PLANS REVOLT.