Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-14
Candhi Opposition to
All-India Congress
BY A. g. GARDINER,
EnRIand's Greatest Liberal Editor.


LONDON, September lS.-Negotia-
tions with Matatma Gandhi having
broken down, 1t is now clear that the
coming All-India Conference will be
ofiicially boycotted by the Indian Con-
gress. But the list Of invitations pub
lished Thursday is sufficiently impressive,
and the suggestion that, in view OF the
attitude Of the congress, the conferences
may be postponed Is unfounded.
Tome criticism has been directed
against the government for having ur-
ofacially sanctioned the negotiations,
but the general view approves that
course.
It is understood that the Nehrus are
much less implacable than 0andhi,
whose motive was declared, in an inter-
view in the German press, to be purely
strategic. Gandhi considered that O
conference containing 30 many Indians
Of strong sectarian views would merely
advertise to the world the communal
difaculties inherent in the making OF .
constitution for India and would lead
to divisions in the Congress party.
~ 4 f5
For 30 astute q man, this naive con-
fession is impracticable to his position.
The probability is that his ahstention
from the conference will serve only 70
emphasize Tile olNloIonS IaAob ahSe0y
exist, especially in Bengal, where the
rupture between Sen GuptA and
Subashhandra Bose has developed into
an open, noisy quarrel, the former being
prepared to cooperate with the govern
mert on the terms offered to Gandht
The impression prevails that though
the Indian Congress party viii not be
officially represented, it is not improh-
able that individual members OF the
party may attend the conference.
II ~
However. unfortunate the non-co-
operation Of the Congress may be, 1t
is certain that gain viii attend the con-
ference from the absence Of the purely
disruptive element. Apart from tnAt
element, all great sections OF indian
opinion will be powerfully represented.
Indian india, through princes who repre-
sent a third of ell India, will be In q
strong position, and It is understood that
they have been negotiationg with the
Hindu moderates and are prepared 70
consider favorably scheme for fedora
ton on the lines of the Simon report, with
adequate safeguards on the subject Of
tariffs and with certain checks In re.
gard to the central government.
An important factor in keeping the
conference in touch with practical issues
will be the presence Of strong com.
mercial interests, both Indian and Eu-
ropean Indian business men are
anxious to control the departments OF
finance and commerce in the central
government and the opinion Is exc
pressed that British and Indian bust.
ness men are not unprepared to accept
a commercial convention as q SAFE
guard
The chances Of a successful issue to
the conference largely depend upon the
emphasis laid on the intention to move
toward the goal of full, responsible
government with all the speed con-
sistent with the vast complexity OF the
problem. II this Is done convincingly, q
question like the right to recede from
the empire becomes merely academic.
The choice of the president Of the
conference is arousing discussion ana
various names have been canvassed.
The most obvious choice would be
Premier Macdonald, as head Of the
government, but it is question whether
such q prolonged and intense pre-"
occupation with constitutiori-makins is
consistent with the general duties OF
his Office.
The claims of Lloyd George. Lord
Reading and Sir Herbert Samuel have
been much csnvaSsed. These are all
Liberals, but in view of the fact that
the question has been removed enc
tirely from the party sphere, this con-
sideration Is negligible.
Aside from Macdonald, the Labor
party has no one whose appointment
will carry weight, and q Conservative
appointment to the chair would in the
circumstances be undesirable. Incl
dentally, there has been a good deal of
discussion In the columns of the London
Times and elsewhere in regard to the
unfriendly attitude of much of Amer
lean opinion toward England on the
Indian crisis. Writers and visitors to
America, like st. John IRVINE, COM
Inent bitterly on the enthusiastic well
come given any Indian extremist and
the dismissal OF any statement OF the
English view as propaganda.
DOWNRIGHT. 1901