The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-10-01
. Clapper
Conditions in lndia
Still Unsatisfactory
Deadlock With Britain
Should Be Broken Somehow
Americans Concerned at
vesins Colonial Problem
Nv RAYMOND GAPPER

WASHINGTON = Every day
brings new evidence of concern
here and in England over the un-
satisfactory condition of affairs
in India.
London press dispatches report
a strong undereurrent of criticism.
which It Is forecast VIII be aired
N commons shortly in a general
debate On the governments pol
icy Of refusing % reopen negotia-
tons with e Indian people.
IN the United states. petitions.
open letters. newspaper advertise
ments and meetings indicate anx-
iety over continuation of the pres
ent deadlock.
This comes primarily from
friends Of Britain. II IS in ne
sense a movement of former iso-
lationists, or lion-tail twisters.
Certainly they are all strongly
anti-axis. A meeting this week in
Washington was called under the
sponsorship of such persons as
Gov. Harold Stassen of Minnesota,
Mrs. Hugo L. Black, Mrs. Pearl
Buck. Bishop James E. Freeman
of the Episcopal church, and for
mer Governor Pinchot of Pennsyl-
vania. Senators Pepper of Flori-
da and Ball of Minnesota, early
friends of aid to England and
members of opposing political par
ties. were speakers at the WASH
ington meeting.
So far as can be judged, a CONF
mon purpose dominates all Of
these people. It is the hope that
the deadlock between the British
government and the Indian people
can be resolved promptly in order
to strengthen the defense of In
dia, in which American troops are
participating, not only for defense
of India but to use India as an Of
fensiye base against Japan. All of
them feel that if the Indian peo-
pie remain sullen and frustrated in
steps toward m ore self-govern-
ment, the disasters of Burma and
Malaga, partly caused by the in
difference and even hostility of the
population toward the allies, may
be repeated in India.
Some friends of India make the
point that a transition to more
self-government can be more cas-
lily accomplished during the war
than afterward. They base this on
the willingness of the Indian lead
ers to leave military defense and
related activities such as control
of railroads and other communi-
cations in the hands of the Mill
tary. That in itself would give a
large measure of sterilization and
mean the change-over of civilian
functions only, a more restricted
change than the total switch that
might be demanded after the war.
Such is the argument of those who
favor reopening of negotiations.
Thus far American censorship
has prevented at least a portion
of American discussion from being
sent to London newspapers by
their correspondents in Washing
ton. have been advised by them
that when they attempted to send
portions of some of my own dis
patches to England these were
censored.
The point is made that suppress
sions prevent the British public
from having a full picture of the
trend of discussion in the United
States. The reason given on be-
half Of the American censorship
to the British correspondents was
that their dispatches would tend
10 indicate to the axis that diff
ferenees Of policy existed between
the allies. The British correspond
ents make the point that the axis
has other ways of getting material
and that the suppression of news
dispatches therefore is not effec-
tive. Some of the censored mate
rial, ] am informed indirectly, has
gone through diplomatic channels
for the governments information
in London.
The main hope here-shared by
some important officials-is that
members Of the British govern
ment will find ii possible to re-
consider its position to the point
Of resuming the negotiations which
were interrupted with the failure
OF the Grips mission and Gandhi's
unfortunate launching of his non
cooperation campaign.
Mr.. Clapper is heard on KMo
Mutual broadcast Mondays and
Thursdays at p. m.