Evening star., 1934-12-07

Nationalist in India feel that the
report on home rule which has been
made to the British government, after
years OF study, fails to meet their de-
/ sire for complete government,
while in the home country opinions
differ so greatly that bitter contro-
versy is expected. 1t is even felt that
in the debate that is scheduled feel
| ing will run so high that the govern
ment may be forced to resign.
Stating that, las was to be expected.
the die-hard Nationalist Of India are
not satisfied" the ST. Paul Pioneer
Press remarks that 1T is clear that
England intends to keep India's prog
ress toward democracy for long time
under British control" That paper
feels that 1T would be extremely un-
fortunate If the report succeeded only
in widening the estrangement between
the two countries and making further
readjustments impossible" The San
Jose (Calif) Mercury Herald finds
that the report indicates confidence in
Indias capacity for self-government,
and concludes: The pace of change
is swift around the whole world. and
the generation of American citizens
now coming on may, in their lifetime,
see two powerful, progressive nations
emerge-China and India. The Orient
would then be dominating influence
in world affairs
The granting of this constitution
institutes an experiment which aims,
as the Christian Science Monitor has
summed it up. "at handing Sover the
reins of self-government to elected
representatives of 350,000,000 hetero-
geneouS people split into fragments by
age-old antagoniSms of creed, civiliza-
ton, race, language and caste, be-
sides being so illiterate that only 156
are able to read and write"
1T is not certain that the present
government can survive the debate"
thinks the Newark Evening News, and
that paper states: Already the decks
have been cleared for the Commons
to give this bill its undivided atten-
ton for the better part of year.
Britain is not going to be hurried into
snap judgment disposal of so mo-
mentous a problem. In London the
report is spoken of by moderates as a
milestone on the road to Indian self
government. Both Laborites and die
hards denounce it. The Indian YER
nacular press, except the Moslem news
papers, scorn it as failing to satisfy
any section of responsible opinion.
Britain's difficulties can be measured
by our experience with the Philippines,
which was trivial by comparison"
"a political bomb, threatening to
split the Conservative party" is the
estimate Of the report made by the
Reno, New, Evening Gazette, which
looks forward to spirited proceedings
in Parliament with the comment:
The opposition will be led by the al
ready outspoken antagonists, Winston
Churchill and Sir Henry Page Croft,
while Sir Samuel Hoare, secretary of
state for India in the cabinet, is in
favor Of it. The Labor party, many
Of the old Liberals and considerable
number Of the Conservatives argue in
favor Of the report that it carries out
the implied pledge to India in 1917,
when the Indian native states and the
provinces under British control proved
their loyalty by their contributions Of
men and money to the army Of the
allies"
THE plan proposed" according to
the Manchester, N. H., Union, calls
for an all-India federation, made up
of self-governing units. Eleven prov
inces of British India will be linked
with the native Indian states, which
will enter the federation by the volun-
tary act of their rulers. Each province
and state will have its own bicameral
legislature, with q central or federal