Evening star., 1932-05-22
Macdonald Returns
To Face Crave Problems
BY A. G.. GARDINER.

LONDON, May 21.-Prime Minister
Ramsay Macdonald left the nursing
home this week and is expected TO be
convalescent within q fortnight. His
absence from active leadership is uni
versally recognized as disaster at q
most critical moment in history, with
decisions impending in regard to the
imminent Lausanne Conference, the un-
favorable outlook for the Disarmament
Conference, vast problems raised by the
coming Ottawa Conference and the
immediate situation in India.
The latter subject on which Mac
Donald Is especially instructed and en-
lightened, has assumed extreme urgency.
Lord Lothian arrived from India by air.
plane Thursday, bringing a report Of
the Franchise Committee dealing with
the problem of representation for the
minorities in the proposed Indian con-
stitution. As result of the failure of
Hindus and MoSlems at the round table
conference in London to agree on the
principle of communal representation,
the task Of settling the terms Of the
franchise was thrown on the British
government, and Lord Lothian, under
secretary to India, was appointed chair
man OF the Franchise Committee to in
'NCS%9aNN WIZ oAHJCSb oPObs
The gravity Of the question was
Startlingly illustrated this week by the
outbreak of communal rioting at Bonn
bay, which resulted in nearly hundred
deaths and over a thousand being in
jured It was q deplorable example OF
the intensity of the religious passions
which constitute the most serious OBJ
stacle to the solution OF Indian govern
ment.
The immediate cause of the rioting
was a trivial tea shop incident arising
out of the Mohammedan celebration of
Muharram, which set the Moslem and
Hindu communities ablaze with reli-
gious frenzy No anti-British element
entered into the quarrel and no British
were involved except troops hurriedly
summoned to quell the conflict. Sig
nif1cantly enough, there were no more
urgent clamors for intervention than
those that proceeded from the Indian
Congress newspapers.
x
Commenting on the incident, the Man
chester Guardian and the London spec
tator both strong advocates OF 1ndlan
self-government, point outNthe dlmcuIty
of applying democratic institutions 70
population so fanatically divlded tnat
quarrel in a tea shop plunges a whole
city into chaos. Both discuss the
dilemma of the maintenance OF order.
Either there must always be British
troops to intervene, or India Will
always be in a state Of communal DIS
turbance. The alternative Is q purely
Indian army, but an Indian army COM
posed Of Hindus and Moslems would De
e.. for1off0fSr1 WhHgA
violent excesses 1t would be called upon
to uuell. Thus the Hindu MoSlem prob
lem becomes a vicious circle, which In
the present circumstances makes the
presence Of British troops the only vfs-
ible security for the maintenance OF law
and order.
1t is with this diSquieting revelation
of the infiammable nature Of the racial
conflict that the government Is called
upon to decide the crucial question Of
communal representation in new Legis-
latures Whatever decision is reached
cannot please both sides and is unlikely
to please either. 1t Is not even simple
issue between Hindus and Moslems, but
is complicated by the claims Of other
minorities, including the "untouch-
ables," the Indian Christians. Anglo
Indians and the large European COM
munity. But the crux of the issue is
the Hindu Moslem question. and 1t Is
difficult to see on what terms the gov
can effect an accommodation
between these great factions.
Naturally the Bombay riots have
stimulated the opposition of those who,
under the leadership of Winston
resist the whole policy Of
self-government to India and
who predict that the adoption of that
policy win plunge India into racial
warfare. But the government is pledged
10 carry through the new constitution,
the only alternative to which, in the
words of Edward Villier. president of
The European Association In India, Is
utter chaos
The fact Is frankly faced that as the
British administration in India is re-
placed by an Indian administration the
Hindu Moslem conflict will become
more acute than today and the conse-
luences more serious. But it Is held
hat this consideration cannot Justify
'efusal Of self-government. The effects
u concession may be good or bad, but
he effects Of refusal are unthinkahle,
(Copyright. is32.l