Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20
AMNESTY POSSIBLE
IN INDIAN REVOLT
Gandhi and Others Affected
by Suggested Leniency
After Adjournment.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

Ey Raoio to The star.
LONDON, England, July 10 (C.D.N)
--Mahatma Gandhi and hundreds Of
other imprisoned Indian Nationalist
will probably be granted an amnesty
shortly after adjournment of the British
Parliament, which is expected to be
around August l.
That is only one of the important de-
velopments in the Indian situation fore
cast by informed persons here. All are
in the nature of a truce and decidedly
do not constitute a settlement Of the
Indian question, however.
Fresh crises are bound to ensue, no.
tably next January, when the Semi-an-
and is likely to go unpaid If the Ma
tionalistS are not satisfied with the re-
suits of the London round-table con-
ference scheduled for October.
Meantime the latest developments
regarding India and the probable march
of events may be summarized as fol-
lows:
There will be no debate on the Indian
situation during the present sitting OF
Parliament. The government had al
ready made that decision, and it was
confirmed by episodes in the House of
Commons yesterday which offend the
British sense of decorum. Two Left
Labor members were suspended amid
scenes of great disorder, one for defying
the speakers ruling against the Indian
debate and the other for his dramatic,
Cromwell-like seizure of the mace,
which is the symbol of parliamentary
authority, as q protest against tie stand
OF the House and his own party.
Visit Authorized.
As the newspapers point out today,
. 10 eff at 20 q
the time of Cromwell, in 1858. The af-
fair leads all except members of the ex-
treme Left wing to agree not to discuss
India until the round-table conference.
simultaneously, Viceroy Lord Irwin
Of India has authorized two dlstin-
guished Indian moderates to visit
Gandhi in prison ''unoficially." seeking
q basis of peace, I am informed that
the people believe that this is prelude
to an amnesty to all Nationalist not
accused of acts of personal violence
and a truce until after the round-table
conferences respite welcomed by both
sides.
The round-table meeting, of course,
would be meaningless unless the Ma
tionalist elements participated, and
such participation is impossible while
Gandhi is imprisoned. An amnesty is
impossible while Parliament is sitting,
owing to the die-hard opposition, but
adjournment is nearing and the gov
eminent is expected to act soon there
after.
The second important development is
stul not announced here, but learn
authoritatively that the government
opposition parties in the round-table
parley. The degree of representation is
still being debated, but Prime Minister
Ramsay Macdonald agrees that success
will be impossible without the co-opera-
ton of the Tories and the Liberals. He
desires. however, government MAJOR
fly and he hopes to protect himself
against opposition dominance of the
round table by appointment as char
man of the round table of some nom
partisan legal luminary enjoying gen.
eral confidence.
Simon Report Question.
Meanwhile the government Skillfully
leaves the air unclear. The vice regal
speech fosters the impression In India
that the government will enter the
round-table conference open-mindedly
and unbound by the recommendations
of the unpopular Simon report. Mr..
MacDonald's declaration, and even
more the speeches of government lead
ers and members Of the House of Lords,
encourage precisely the opposite i'm
preston in England. Here is it under
stood that the Simon report consti-
tutes the basis Of the round-table dis
cussions.
Clearly the October session is going
70 disillusion either India or Great
Britain. While the truce and the
round-table meeting are under way,
both sides in this titantic struggle are
preparing for the fresh battles which
are not improbable after the round
table.
Indian Nationalist are organizing
the country to resist payment of the
land tax if India is dissatisfied with
the round-table results. That form of
resistance would be more momentous
than the salt tax defiance, and In turn
the British are preparing to deal with
It more harshly than they dealt with
the salt violatorS.
The January tax collection date will
see 10000 additional British troops in
India prepared to suppress resistance
by whatever measures are deemed most
efflcacious. Should the Labor govern
ment still be in power, it will probably
sustain hard-boiled methods, the same
rs a Tory administration would.
(copyright, 1900