Evening star., 1939-10-21
British Are Faced
With Critical
Problem in India
White Paper on War
Aims GreotIy Irritotes
Nationalist Group
By HELEN KIRKPATRICK.


Chicago Oily News Foreign Correspondent.
LONDON, Oct. 2l.-The British
government will be faced, at the be-
ginning of next week, with the criti-
cal Indian problem arising out of the
resignation of eight governments in
British India. When Mohandas K.
Gandhi's Congress party at the be-
ginning of the war pledged Indian
support to the allied cause Great
Britain was asked to formulate her
war aims The only answer which
was received was a white paper"
issued by the governor general of
India, Lord Linlithgow, which has
so irritated the Indian nationalsts
that they have decided that their
governments must resign. What will
follow depends on Gandhi's decision.
What the Congress party actually
wanted to know was whether Britain
Is fighting this war for democracy.
and If so when India is going to
benefit by democratic treatment her.
self. If the war against Hitlerism
is not war for democracy. then
even under British Imperialism these
Indians feel that they have a right
to dominion status. 60
Rejects Democratic Theme.
The white paper rejects the
democratic theme and states that
the allies are not fighting for forci-
bic extension of the frontiers of
democracy. Furthermore, the Brit
ish government refuses to accept
Gandhi's claims that he represents
the majority of British Indians.
1ndia's Governor speak
ing for the British government,
holds out again in the hope of do
nrinion status, but says, in effect,
that nothing can be done until the
war is over and then round-table
conference can discuss the que3-
ton. 1t is not the moment to change
the constitution, is the British an
sWer to India'S plea to make In
dta's central government responsible
to the Indian legislature, but, ac-
cerding to Indian officials, Britain
has actually changed the consti-
tuition by an amendment to the In
dia act which Indians claim was
rushed through Parliament during
the first days of the war under the
guise of national emergency. They
say that what measures of autonomy
were enjoyed by India have been
taken away by the amendment.
1t seems that the British govern
mont O ,1u l1oc 10 TO
way of meeting Gandhis request
for war aims and it seems to have
stirred up hornets nest. 1t would
have been better had no official
statement been put out. AS it is
the statement has aroused bitter
ness in India and by it's apparent
Inaccuracies has revived that pro-
found mistrust of the British gov
eminent that had never been wholly
dissipated.
Predict Serious Trouble.
Indians in London predict serious
trouble and describe the present
Indian situation as test case
for the British government and one
which may have the most profound
effect on the course of the war
It is the view of sensible Indians
that the British government is not
only hopelessly shortsighted but is
perpetrattng situation in India
as bad as that which it is trying
to correct in Europe.
If the British people we're aware
OF the situation, they could not
stand for it one minute said a
prominent Indian yesterday, and a
glance at today's newspapers sup
port the statement that Britishers
have not been told anything about it
Only two neWspapers-the Daily
Herald and the News Chronicle
mention the impending resignation
of eight Indian governments. Two
leading Weeklies, however-the New
Statesman and Nation and the
Spectator-present the Indian prob
lem prominently. The former con-
cludes. For many in Britain anc
the empire India is the test that de-
cides the meaning of this war; so il
will be for the world at large. II
the Indians revolt and we coerce
them, in the eyes of civilized man
kind we are merely one empire that
fights another. It's effect in Amer
Tea, always keenly interested in In
dia. will be calamitous
fcopyrisht, 1899. BY Chicago Daily News