Evening star., 1932-11-13
WORK WILL BEGIN
ON LAW FOR INDIA
Final Round Table to Produce
"White Paper" for Present
ing Parliament.
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, November 12,-Forty-
three men and one woman start working
against time next Wednesday to whip
into shape before Christmas a consti-
tuition for India's 360,000,000 people,
perhaps the most important political
action since the Russian revolution.
These delegates, aided by corps Of
experts. form the third and final Indian
round table conference. When their
work is finished the Indian constitution
will be virtually written, although it
will be called merely white paper"
This white paper. which the confer
ence will present to Parliament needs
only to be hardened into permanency by
an act of Parliament to be the fUnda-
mental law Of India.
Whatever 1t produces In statecraft-
and there are those with doubts even
among the delegates-there is every in
dication that this conference will move
swiftly toward its goal. The agenda
will be fixed. The number Of delegates
have been severely limited to less than
half either of the two previous confer
ences. The keynote Is business"
Some silk hats, some picturesque IN
dian costumes there will be, no doubt,
but the accent is entirely on accom-
plishing the object rather than on pro-
ducing an imperial showpiece.
The sessions are not even being held
in the noble halls at st. James Palace,
as were the Others although the palace
is available. Instead they are to be
held in four rooms in the House of
Lords, under the elaborate square
Gothic tower at the west end of the
Houses Of Parliament.
De hn Oft AH 10
hatma Gandhi and the Congress Ma
tionalist party from the roster of the
conference. Gandhi. there is no doubt,
will seldom be forgotten by the dele
gates, but his party has no direct rep
resentation.
II the Mahatma will renounce his
civil disobedience campaign, the gov
ernment has indicated that it will con-
slider inviting him, or a representative.
What the omission of Gandhi may
cost later through his opposition If his
demands are not met, is problem to
be faced when the constitution is put
into action.
Some of the delegates to the confer
ence have expressed the opinion that
they are coming to London merely to
sign on the dotted line.
Great Britain has named an even
and leading authorities on Indian af-
fairs as delegates. Prime Minister Ram
say Macdonald heads the list as chair
man, with Lord Sankey, the lord chan
cellor, taking the chair in the prime
minister's absence.
Others are two former viceroys Of IN
dia, Lords Reading and Irwin; Sir SAM
uel Hoare, secretary for India Earl
Peel, former secretary for India; Lord
Lothian and Earl Winterton. former
undersecretarieS for India; Sir John
Simon, foreign minister and chairman
of the Indian Statutory Commission;
Lord Hailsham, former lord chancellor;
r. A. Butler, undersecretary for In
dia, and j. c. c. Davidson, chairman of
the Indian States Round Table Confer
ence Committee.
Three important problems stand out
First Is the question Of franchise and
eSentation-direct or indirect. The
experts Of the last conference suggested
the vote should be given to about 10 per
cent Of the population. The Nationalists
insist upon complete franchise for
adults Of both sexes.
The second problem is how much con-
troll the British will relinquish in the
central government Of India. Indians
fear they may be given control of only
the provincial governments, leaving
Britain still supreme at the center"
The third problem concerns financial
safeguards. The British demands are
designed to assure payment of India's
external debt-around f400, ZOO, 600
most of which is owed in London; as
sure that sufficient funds will be voted
to maintain the army in India; keep
the credit of the new nation stable;
keep the rupee linked with sterling; pre-
vent discrimination against British
manufacturers; provide for pensions.