Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-15

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has bothered to look under
meath II.
Why until the last few years
the average American didn't
know whether Shanghai was in
the north. east south or middle
OF China. Now we know some
thing about Shanghai, and about
Chungking, too.
We also have learned that the
Chinese aren't the devious and
enigmatic mysticS we thought
they were.
But what about that neigh
boring hot-spot. Indiac How
asny people even know where
m bay and Calcutta are?
What do you know about Bur
ma, except that the Jsps have
posted sign saying. Road
closed" and kIpling wrote a
poem about temple bells and a
Burma girl a-settin'?
Me. too. don't know,
either.
A few days ago. the head
lines were full of Gandhi's arrest.
Make no mistake about il In
dia Will be back in the head
lines. India, for the first time.
is becoming important 10 US.
and we're going TO start find
ing out about it
In all my life I've known only
n few people from India. but
quite by accident I met one Of
them again this week, a big.
powerfully built chap named
Sher VI. Quraishi. I knew him
= dozen years ago when he was
In college at Ann Arbor. Now
he's In Detroit.
There is nothing cryptic or
mysterious about Quraishi He
has a darker skin. but he talks
the same language we do. and
you can boil the heart Of the
Indian question down 10 this.
They don't want 10 be governed
by somebody else.
IT don't like the British" said
Quraishi. II don't like them to
govern India. But II you think
! don't like the British. you can
imagine what think Of the
Germans. And the Japs-the
-JapS are n main In the neck"
Nothing Orientally mysterious
about the way he talks.
= Then he added, II don't want
yfhe Germans to rule the Eng
lish any more than I want the
English TO rule us. would
gladly die 10 help the British
20 keep the NaLis from enslav-
ing them. But while we're
talking about freedom and de-
mocracy, how about Including
us: Il there any reason why
$4,000. 900 people, a fifth ~
the worlds population. shouldn't
be free, too %"
didn't have any answer 20
this CHave your. But / did
say: But what about the Japs?
II you get away from the Brit
iSh. and the JapS seize India,
won't you be worse off -
yes" said he. Il think 50.
To Hades with the Japs but
remember what George Bernard
Shaw said: Between two evils,
choose none.
Quraishi doesn't think that
India. under self-rule. would fall
victim TO internal fighting. I
asked him about the 10000. 900
or 40 MOhammedans. who are
supposed TO be afraid that the
Hindus would Cypress them.
'T don't think So" said Our
aishi. 81 don't think YOU ever
knew II but--Fm n Mohamme-
dan. Or I was. Since coming To
America. I've become a Quaker.
7 think that the Hindus and
Mohammedans will he able to
settle whatever differences they
may have"
That's just a rough1 idea of
what one native of India thinks.
You might like TO know how
he happens 90 be in Detroit.
though. He left India years ago
10 study engineering. II never
went back-I never could make
up my mind 10 go back TO be
ruled again" he said II want
TO be free.
1--WE done various kinds Of
work since I last saw you. A
few months ago had a store
In the South.
"But with the war - selling
sllk stockings didn't seem like
much for me 20 he doing. I've
studied engineering and I came
MP here three or four months
ago. I'm working at the Lin
coin plant. I thought that was
the least could do"
In other words. he wants 10
belp us win. And wants In