Evening star., 1932-04-03
SContinued From Third Page)

They can address their servants in g
limited vocabulary for household needs
But they cannot converse intelligently
with Indian ladies, the majority OF
whom have been educated in the ole
style and speak little or no English
Their men meet Indians X their busi-
ness or official capacities. But theii
ample leisure. their sports and games
and amusements are partaken of with
with the Indians
A ruling prince. a fnaharaja. will en-.
tertain house parties of English guests
at his palace; the hospitality of the
East is proverbial. But the princes are
nearly all Raiputs or Mahometans, and
both the high-easte Rajputs and the
upper Mahumetans still keep theif
women in the seclusiun of Purdah
The faults are not all on one side, il
IS true. But it was the duty of the
conquerors and rulers to establish
friendly relations with the dependent
race.
In India the club Is the chief center
OF European social life. In each up
country town or military cantonment
there is a club. Here the English mer
and women foregather every day after
work is over. The club in India Is the
Englishman's castle To a few small
clubs in the provinces Indian gentlemen
OF official rank are admitted In the
majority of clubs no Indian. no matter
how high his rank or caste. can cross
the threshold
Indians In Civil Service.
"A beginning has been made with the
INFLAMMATION of the civil service the
all-powerful government An Indian
a tIaf "A tfnth nF nta Tr,1 f1I
English university, Is appointed to an
official post in country district. II
the European community is small he
may be admitted to the local club. He
may not use 1t much, but he appreciates
the compliment. Then this Indian off,
cial is promoted and goes to live In a
city: but here the local European clubs
are all closed to him.
Use the bureaucratic word Euro
pean." 1t really means British every
where except in four or five big cities
where few Americans and French
men are to be found.
In Bombay, the second city of India
the yacht club is the principal center
of European social life Any Britun of
official status. any member of the civil
service. any officer of the army or navy
becomes a member automatically. A
well introduced and substantial British
merchant is elected But no Indian. NO
matter what his rank wealth, culture
or social position, is admitted He cam
not even be taken in as guest for
10 minutes.
Attempts, as 1 say, have been made
to break down these barriers. The VIII
1ihgdUn Club in Bombay is a mixed
club: that is, Indian and English are
admitted on equal terms. 1t is a
monument to the political sagacity OF
a great British Liberal statesman, the
present viceroy and former governor
general of Canada. When Lord Will
lingdon was governor of the Bombay
presidency he founded the club which
bears his name. Lady Willingdon made
1t her business to get on friendly terms
with as many Hindu. Parsee and
Mahometan ladies as she could. But
except for the wives of q few high
English officials who felt constrained
to follow her example. few of Lady
Wilingdons cotintrywofnen have truu-
bled to become acquainted with Indian
1Adiae.
Tried 10 Introduce Maharajah.
In 1918 the Right Hon. Edwin Mon
tague, then secretary OF state for India
actually tried to Introduce his friend
the Maharajah Of Bikaner, into the
Bombay Yacht Club. His highness oil
Bikaner Is q Rajput, a member of the
governing military caste He hao
fought in three wars at the head o!
his own troops In defense of British
interests. He rules territory nearly
as big as the Irish Free State and is
an enlightened prince who has intro
duced the beginnings of constitutional
ism among his subjects. Entitled to a
salute of II guns as soon as he sets foot
on British soil, he is an honorary major
general in the British Army speaks
perfect English and looks every inch
soldier and an aristocrat. With many
other Englishmen, I have been enter
tanned at his palace in Bikaner. 1 car.
take him into my own club in London,
and have been privileged to do so. But
I could not take him into the Delhi
Club or the Bombay Yacht Club.
Sucn Is the man whom Montague, q
British cabinet minister and a privy
councillor, wanted to take as his guest
INTO the Bombay Yacht Club, He was
snubbed for his pains. The committee
from which he sought permission said
1t would create precedent and that the
younger members of the club would
resign in body. Montague gave way
The late Pandit Nehru was the fore
most lawyer Of his day In India. He
filled many high posts under the gov-
ernrnent. A Brahman of the Brahmans
he was no darker than a Southern
Italian; his features were classic, his
English perfect and his tastes and
learning of the highest order English
men OF high position in India were
proud to be entertained in his beauti-
ful home and to invite him to their
homes. His son, Jawarelal Nehru. was
educated at the University of Oxford.
and after some years in London, where
he was well received In society. re-
turned to India to live in Delhi. He
was persuaded to allow his name to be
proposed for admission as a member to
the Delhi Club. The committee would
not even allow his name to come up for
election. Now Joe" Nehru. as we
called him in England. a young man
OF great gifts and charm. leads the
extremist section of the Indian Ma
tional Congress and is the idol of the
revolutionary youth Of India. He is in
prison as l write these words. His
father was a moderate in politics. so
was the son when he returned to India
His treatment. wounding to the pride
OF q sensitive young man, turned him
TO the left"
Hindus Of Aryan Race.
Remember, the Hindus are branch
OF the same Aryan race from which the
Latin, Celtic and Anglo-Saxofl stocks
who comprise the inhabitants Of most
OF Europe-are descended In the
great migration, as I once heard Stan
ley Baldwin remind Parliament. to the
unconcealed disgust of his Tory die
hard followers, one branch of the Ar
--ans turned west and settled Europe:
another branch turned south, through
the passes Of the Himalayas, to settle
IN the plains Of Hindustan. There were
indigenous stocks on the plains of In
ferior racial type, which now form the
lower castes, the "untouchables" The
Mongolian and the Semitic invaders
from the north, the Arabs from the
west, introduced other racial strains
but the Hindus are predOmnantly
Aryan AS a people, they are sensi-
tive. proud, and lay great stress on
what they call "isset." their self-respect.
And their feelings are wounded by this