Evening star., 1942-03-10
Churchill 10 Make
Statement on India,
Probably Tomorrow
British Cabinet Swings
Toward Offer to Be
Applied Promptly
By the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, March 10.-Prime
Minister Churchill will make a
statement on the governments S
India policy at the next sitting of
the House of Commons, Sir Stat
ford CrippS, Lord Privy Seal, told
the House today.
This statement may come to-
morrow, since Commons usually
meets on Wednesday,
The British cabinet debated the
complex problem at two sessions
Saturday and yesterday.
Dominion status for India as the
price for her millions war support
for Britain was regarded in British
circles as virtual certainty and the
weight of cabinet influence appar-
emily was veering toward an offer
which would be put into force
promptly.
Snag Is in Timing.
With the mailed I1St or the Japa-
nese Army beating on the door of the
empires treasure chamber and its
peoples attitude tepid toward Bri-
tain because of unfulfilled aspira-
tions for freedom, the cabinet
debated the measure of Indian
independence Saturday and yester-
day.
Informed sources said the snag
was on the timing of dominion
status-whether to grant it now or
promise it at deferred date.
Sir Stafford Cripps was said to be
leading the fight for immediate
grant to India of the same rank
in the commonwealth as Canada
and the other dominions. Mr.
Churchill. formerly an advocate of
strong British rule in India, was be-
lieved to be swinging toward the
same opinion, it was reported.
Three Plans for India.
Essentially there are three plans
for India believed to be before the
cabinet:
/. A fiat offer of postwar domin-
ion status.
2. A gradual grant of dominion
status during the war.
3. An offer of immediate dominion
status
Indians here have declared that
the only plan acceptable to their
countrymen would be the third
and that it would represent the
minimum of India S demands, 9th
ers say that even immediate domin-
ion status would be unsatisfactory
that Indians have reached point
where they would accept nothing
but "completely independent
nation"
Pandit JaWaharla1 Nehru. leader
of Indias Nationalists, suggested
that only Indias extreme demands
would be high enough price.
Nothing but solution on the
basis of Indian freedom, he said in
en- interview at Allahabad within
the past week, will move our mil
lions to effective action until
they realize that they have achieved
freedom and are fighting to defend
it, all else is unimportant."
Factions Cause Haggling.
Inner factions among the British
dictate the haggling of the cabinet.
To most Britons dominion status
means independence and the nation
generally is expected to accept such
a grant calmly There are signs in
the press even of impatience for a
decision.
On the other hand, there is a
large British group with extensive
interests in India and it is hesitant
about an immediate introduction of
dominion status. Most of its
strength is among the Conservatives,
Mr. Churchill's own party.
The cabinet, supposedly shifting
between the first and third plans,
thus might choose the second as a
compromise.
Those familiar with India en-
phasize the catastrophe consequent
ces which could result from a false
step. This consideration plus the
complexity of the problem indicate
that another week may pass before
the cabinets decision is presented
to the House of Commons, it was
stated.