Evening star., 1942-04-09
General Agreement
In Dispute in India
Appears al Hand
Louis Johnson Hailed
As Hero Of Hour
In Negotiations
By the Associated Press.

DS Inc hSSOCAdttu TIeoo.
NEW DELHI, India, April g.
A general understanding on the
main points at issue between the
British and politically articulate
Hindus appeared to be at hand
today, with reported assent by
leaders of the All-India Congress
Party and the Hindu MahaSabha
to establishment of a national
government for India.
Such a Government would serve
India pending the postwar domin-
ion status offered by Britain.
Britains chief negotiator, Sir
Stafford Cripps, was understood to
have telegraphed Vinayak Damodar
Savarkar, president of the Hindu
Mahasabha, asking II that organ
ization of political moderates had
any objections to joining a ma
tional government.
No Objections to India.
Savarkar was understood to have
replied through the Governor OF
Bombay, Sir Roger Lumley, that
his organization had no objections
even though it still opposed a clause
in the British plan allowing prov
inces to remain outside the pro-
posed Indian union.
1t was reported that the Maha-
sabha would get two seats in the
national government.
Reports on the status of the ne
gotiations with the Congress Party
the dominant political group, va
ried between statements that "a
general understanding Is nearly
reached" and that it was "as good
as reached"
AS a result of reports circulated
throughout the country that the
British government and the Con-
gress Party had finally come to
terms. President Roosevelt's per-
sonal minister to India, Louis john
son, was characterized by COM
mentators as "the hero of the hour.
Press Lauds johnson.
Mr.. johnson, who arrived late last
week, took an increasingly promi-
nent part in the negotiations and
this evenings issue of the national
ist newspaper, the Bombay Senti-
mel, described him as super
Cripps."
Throughout his talks with Grips
and nationalist leaders, Mr.. John
sons attitude was reported to have
been to this effect: Better to pay
the price for Congress cooperation
than to risk the future"
The formula on the defense issue
repeatedly reached by Cripps, Mr.
johnson and Congress leaders was
said to provide for a clear division
of functions, with Gen. Sir Archi-
bald P. Wavell, now British com
mander for India, to be supreme
commander for conduct of the wal
under war cabinet, while an In
dian defense minister acting under
the authority of the projected In
dian national government would be
War Minister
Both Cripps and Mr.. johnson were
believed to be eager that Pandi,
Jawaharlal Nehru of the Congres.
Party agree to be defense minister
India's Own Problem. Nehru SAYS.
Nehru, in a statement on the
United States position regarding
the Indian question, declared:
Col. Louis johnson has taken a
friendly interest in our problem OF
today, and we are grateful to him
for it, but it would be unfair to him
and unfair to us to imagine that
the burden of any decision or of in
tervention is cast on him.
I'm this world situation, fraught
with peril, it is right that we should
consult each other and find out a
way to the common advantage of
the common cause, but I want to
make it clear that we have issued
no appeals to anybody, nor asked
for any ones Intervention.
For my part I admire President
! (See INDIA, Page A-3O