Evening star., 1937-04-25
WORRIES In MIDDLE EAST
KEEP PBRITISHLIONDOCUE
Trouble Breaking OH Indian Frontier
May Spread South and Become
General Mutiny.
BY CONSTANTINE BROWN.

eiAS ASPCdlCu ClldllGllScS Ol UIlS
u distatorships in Europe and in
tho Far East is one of the problems
which puzzle many observers in this
country and in Europe They see the
British government make threats
which are Immediately followed by la
mentable retractions. The battle
cruiser Hood, pride of the British
navy, Is sent with a fanfare of pub
lclty to protect British shipping in
Spanish waters. Then Baldwin meekly
says that the Hood is not going to
1orce the insurgents blockade.
The reason the British lion allows
Mussolini and Hitler to twist its tail
Is that Whitehall is more worried
than 1t likes to admit over the DO
eltlon of the empire in India and in
the Middle East. Trouble is again
brewing on the northern frontier of
India; trouble which might easily
spread souhtWards and develop into
mutiny with far more serious con-
sequences than even the great rebel
lion OF 1857. This time it arises from
the so-called new Indian constitution,
document framed and drafted by
Sir John Simon several years ago.
According to this constitution, India
Is being given a certain amount of
home rule. The Indian nationalists
refuse to accept it because, they say,
the whole thing is merely make-be-
l1eve. The new charter provides that
the Indian states have their indie
pendent governments with an assem-
bly, and cabinet. But the authority
OF the British governors remains prac-
tlcally lmltless because of their veto
power.
Nehru Refused Office.
Thus, in accordance with these pro-
visions, elections were held last
month. The Indian National Con-
gress obtained a vast majority in
Madras. in the united and central
provinces, in Bihar, Orissa and in
Bombay. Nevertheless the congress
refused to accept the opportunity to
begin a new era of self government.
Its president, Pandit Jawaharlal
Nehru, friend of Gandhi, refused
office ION principle"
The reason why he and his fol-
lowers refused to form the first con-
stitutional Indian Government is, to
use Nehru's expression, because he
did not want to be at the head of
= government which is compelled to
negotiate every day with the COVER
nor; which is compelled to watch his
lace lest 1t betray annoyance; which
must consider him as carefully as it
considers its constituents
''Fhe Simon constitution not only
gives the governors the right Of veto;
1t requires them to exercise it on GER
tain occasions. And these are oc-
casions involving the finances of the
Indian Empire. Since India borrows
only in London the good opinion of
the city is recognized as the test to
which India's finances must submit
She remains thus the subject province
OF the city as she was when the East
India Company conquered that huge
territory to exploit it. This is what
Gandhi and Nehru believe to be the
meaning of the veto. And they tell
Whitehall: "You have chosen to i'm
pose this constitution on us: very
well, then, you shall learn that it is
not easy to govern on your terms
On Long Sit-Downs.
In recent weeks there has been seri-
Gus trouble on the northern frontier,
the hot-bed of revolution in India.
Nehru and Gandhi have long been
worrying the empire by their sit-down
strikes, but they preach against vio-
lence. A short time ago there ap-
peared another leader, known to the
British authorities as the Fakir of
Ipi. He has no use for the non-vio-
lence campaign. At his instigation
the Warlike tribes on the Afghan-In-
dian boundary have begun trouble
some raids and ambushes. Early this
month his partisans massacred % Of
ficers and men Of His Majesty's
forces and wounded scores more.
The Fakir of Ipi cannot, appar-
emily, be bought. Major Johnson, the
military resident of the Waziristan,
managed to get an interview with this
strange and elusive man. They met
IN a cavern in the mountains. A "jirga"
composed Of the Fakir of Ipi and the
tribal chiefs of the region met with Mai.
johnson. There the British military
governor had glimpse of him-a
beggar with a hennaed goatee, half
naked and shaking with fever. He
would not listen to reason He wanted
to dictate his terms. And his terms
were: Get out of India.
A high price has been fixed for his
head. Twice in the last three months
the British thought they had finished
him. Once he was trapped by a
patrol. The Fakir appeared to jump
off a precipice; in fact he merely
let himself slide down the incline and
concealed himself in the bushes. A
Few days later he was active again,
Within fortnight there was an
other capture. The prisoner professed
to be deaf and dumb, but his hennaed
,goatee betrayed him. He was court
AiA"A oANASN oAAo oAlOC LII IllS ydEQ Oh
Fort Hookhart after being identified
by a number of natives from the
mountains. Two weeks later the
Fakir again appeared some 1870 miles
from the fort at the head of q band
Of fanatics who ambushed an Indian
patrol commanded by young British
lieutenant. The man who had been
executed by the firing squad was one
Of the innumerable beggars sent on
sacred mission by the Fakir.
Prestige Is Enhanced.
Naturally these escapes have en-
hanced the prestige of the sage of Ipi
with the Indian population. Even
Gandhi and Nehru are willing to
come to terms with this fanatic with
view to establishing some kind Of
common action.
The trouble which has started in
the north is likely to spread unless
checked as soon as possible. That is
why Sir Robert Cassels, commander
in-chief of the Indian army, has de-
cided to direct personally the opera
tions on that frontier. Several