Evening star., 1942-04-05
White Imperialism's Influence
Undergoes Test in India Crisis
If Britain's Dominion Status Offer Fails, Re.
lection Is Seen as Tragedy, But
Understandable One
By FeHr M Morfey.

lie oitUdIlOu III 1IQld lluSLTdUeS Cne
fact that war has dynamic quality of
its own, operating almost independent of
human wishes and human control. No
body really has desired or planned the
disaster possible in reputation Of the
proposals made in New Delhi by Sir
Stafford Cripps. 1t is the cumulative
force Of events which threatens to pro-
duce this tragic outcome.
While the japanese, of course, well
come any discontinue for Great Britain,
it is clear the present crisis does not re-
suit from the plottings of Toxic Nor
can 1t be attributed to the malign in
f1uence of Hitler, who wrote in "Mein
Kampf' that he would prefer to see
India under English rule than under any
other"
In the past Soviet Russia may have
propagandized in behalf of complete In
dian independence, but certainly not OF
late. The acquieScence of India in jap
anese aggression would threaten those
supply routes on which the continuation
Of effective Russian resistance must in
large measure depend. And for the rest
Of the United Nations the equivocal In
dian attitude is almost equally discon-
oerting.
1t Is also doubtful that more than a
very small minority of Indians them
selves, regardless of caste or creed, de-
sire either to aid the Axis or to embar-
rass the Anglo American cause. The
orderly development of self-government
in India will certainly not be forwarded
by rejection of the British proposals. Ap-
probation OF this is shown by the evident
reluctance with which the leaders of the
An-India Congress party have ap-
preached that decision.
Too Little, Too Late Again?
So one is forced to conclude that forces
beyond the control Of individuals are op-
Grating to produce the impasse. To
center the blame on either the present
racalcitrance of Indian Nationalist or
the past mistakes of British Tories might
satisfy spleen but would in no way fully
explain the situation. This is clarified
only If we realize that the actuating
force is not conscious design but the
dissolutions of the structure of white i'm
perialism under the strain of war.
There is no question that the formula
for settlement, unanimously approved by
the British cabinet and brought to India
by Sir Stafford CrippS. is eminently rea-
sonable If only the same proposal had
been made during the last war, and put
into operation Immediately thereafter
there would probably be no Indian prob
lem today. Now it seems to fan into the
category of too little and too late ~
And for this there is reason.
The people of India are clearly not
ready for complete independence without
the interim period of self-governing do
minion status now offered them. OF the
provisions which permit the Indian states
to decide for themselves whether or not
they wish to enter this federal union, no
reasonable criticism is possible.
The British have been conciliation it
self in proposing that representative In
dians should have complete authority
both in electing a constitutional conven-
ton and in framing the organic law for
the proposed dominion. Indeed, the
whole suggested procedure is at least as
generous as that employed successfully in
the past for the establishment of domin-
ion status for Canada, Australia and
South Africa.
Minor Issues Significance.
Only on the relatively trivial point Of
whether Indian officers should have COM
plete authority for the defense of India
during the present war is there room for
effective criticism of the British offer.
And this criticism cannot be regarded as
having much substance in view of the
way in which generalship has been
shutfled about in the Far East recently.
If Australian troops are proud to serve
under Gen Macarthur, there is certainly
no indignity in keeping the command Of
Indian armies under Gen. Wavell
1t may be that this secondary difficulty
can be finessed. Such outcome is ardent
ly to be desired both because of the
essential generosity of the British pro-
posals and because of the black outlook
if no settlement is agreed on. But there
is significance in the very fact that q