Evening star., 1934-07-22

Indian self-government Mr.. Churchill
could rely on the sympathy and active
support of the great cotton industry
of Lancashire No industry has suf-
fered more acutely from the postwar
depression than the cotton trade.
Some of the Lancashire manufactur-
ing towns have become almost derelict,
and all of them, including Manchester,
are sorely stricken.
The causes of the decline are many,
but the two principal ones are the
competition of Japan, which developed
during the war, when Lancashire
trade with the East was suspended,
and the domestic competition of India,
which was formerly the greatest mar
ket for Lancashire shirtings.
X
The Indian competition has been
stimulated by the act of 1921, which
enabled India to protect her own
manufactures. Oddly enough, in the
light of his present attitude, Mr..
Churchill was a member Of the gov
ernment which passed that act. He
ignored this fact, however, when he
set out to raise Lancashire against
the white paper policy conceding
self government to India. He believed
that the Lancashire card was the
strongest in his pack and proceeded
to play it with his accustomed enregy
and ruthlessness. He believed that
with the backing of the Lancashire
members and the fears Of the cotton
trade, he could destroy the govern
ment plan.
The calculation was superflcially
sound. Whatever else self-govern-
ment for India might do, it could not
benefit the Lancashire cotton trade,
and the probability that 1t would
further injure it was real and obvi-
Gus. On this assumption Mr..
Churchill raised the fiery cross in
the county palatine and sought to
make the flesh of the cotton world
creep with fear at the consequences
Of Indian self-government.
x
For a moment it seemed that he
might win. He brought an accusa-
ton against Lord Derby and the
secretary for India that they had in
terfered with the findings of the
Manchester Chamber of Commerce on
the subject and had succeeded in
getting those findings made more
favorable to the white paper policy.
There is nothing about which Par
lament is more sensitive than a
question of privilege, and the gravest
fear prevailed that if Mr.. Churchill
could prove that the government was
marking the cards there would be a
stampede against the white paper and
the government might be compelled
to drop the self-government scheme.
But Mr.. Churchill did not succeed.
On the contrary he suffered the most
complete flop" The Committee of
Privileges called to investigate the
charge found that it was entirely
baseless, and in the subsequent de-
bate in the House of Commons Mr..
Churchill was routed and Inundated.
Now the Manchester Chamber of
Commerce itself has completed his
discomforture. The president of the
chamber has denounced Mr.. Church
ills mares nest, declared that the
chamber still stands for a policy of
good will toward India and warned
Lancashire against being led into any
loss Of her good name in India for
merely political reasons"
= X
The net result of Mr.. Churchill's
maneuvers shows that Lancashire is
solidly behind the cause of justice to
India. In this it is living up to its
record in the American Civil War,
when. though its mills were closed and
its people were starving because the
North was blockading the ports of
the South and so preventing the ex-
port of cotton, it stood upfalteringly
for the cause of the North. 1t can
never hope to recover its old position
in the Indian market, for in the war
period the Indian cotton mills, orig
inally started under the inspiration
of the Lancashire industrialists, ex-
panded until today they are capable
of producing three-fourths of the re-
quirements Of India in piece goods.
But Lancashire has refused to re-
venge itself for the loss OF its trade
by denying Indias legitimate claim
TO self government In doing this Ian
cashire has enormously improved the
prospects of a successful issue of the
white paper policy. Incidentally it
has given Mr.. Churchill a blow which
would drive any normal politician out
of the ring for good and all.
But this cannot be predicted Of Mr.
Churchill. for, TO adapt a famous say
ing of Mark Twain, The principal
difference between a cat and Mr.
Churchill is that Q cat has only nine
lives
. (CopyriEht, Ia34)