Evening star., 1942-03-08
India as q Future
War Front
BIZ Frederic J. Hnsktn.


fagration moves more directly toward
India, not a few observers think that
some Of the great surprises, If not the
turning point, of the war may be staged
on that greatest and largest OF all
| peninsulas. 1t Is too much to assume
that Hitler's dreams of world domina-
ton did not include India, with its rich
natural resources, 5000 miles Of seaboard,
5000 miles of land frontier and some
100000 900 people. Furthermore, 1t Is
not believed that the Nazis have dele
gated to the Japanese the Job Of taking
this near-continent and handing i. over
to Germany as a gift. Indeed, India
may become the loot over which the
Nazis and the Japanese will disagree,
giving the war a turn OF such magni"
tude as to surprise the world.
No one would dare to be so prophetic
as to read Hitlers mind, and because
of recent events that blur the pages
of modern civilization, the wisest of men
cannot say with certainty what the
ultimate goal of the Japanese Is. But
one fact is we'll known and universally
accepted-Hitler's plundering is for raw
materials and expansion Of territory.
That is precisely the design of the Japa-
nese and there has never been spoil
large enough, when divided, to satisfy
fully two lawless individuals.
Here, then, lies sprawling India. with
territory of approximately 100000
square miles, exclusive Of Burma, and
with so many natural resources that no
other like part Of the world can match
1t. 1t could be for either OF the inter-
national gangsters a great storehouse
Of raw materials and foodstuffs to
supplement for more than a century.
But, gangSter- like, there is not enough
for two, and so a wedge may be driven
between the two strongest Axis powers
over the control of India
India, with its countless natural re-
sources and eXpanse of territory, at
tracts both the NaZis and the Japa-
nese, and the peoples of India, divided
as they are by all shades, of social and
economic variation, speaking more than
200 languages and dialects, represent the
very class over which the Nazis are
prone to dominate and which the Japa-
neSe would subdue as slaves. 1ndias
total population represents almost one
sixth Of the entire human family, and
the subjugation of so large sector Of
the worlds inhabitants would enslave
more people than in any other period
Of world history. The possibilities are
not now beyond reason and the thought
is appalling.
For many years India has been
seeking independence from the Brit
ish, and the belief is widespread
that the British Parliament may grant
it in exchange for complete par
ticipation in the war How effective
such a deal would be in helping Great
Britain in her struggle for survival
is point of conjecture India is
already allied with Great Britain In the
present struggle and was also an ally
with the British in World War I. Indian
fighters acquitting themselves in COM
mendable fashion. But that war was
quite different from the present struggle,
which requires machines and skill by
those who know how to use them. India
is not totally devoid Of men who can
take to the air, man ships and aid in
submarine warfare, but the millions Of
men it could yet furnish are mostly land
warriors largely skilled in their own
tribal tactics Of fighting.
From the time Alexander the Great in
vaded India in 326 BIC. until 1t cams
under control Of the East India Com
pany in 1900, the country had a long
record Of invasionS, but in no instance
was an invasion sufficiently complete to
bring conquerors and conquered into
racial unity. Since the country is so
large and the population so great, it has
always been much easier for the invaders
to rule the conquered than to extermi-
nate them. AS a result, after the lapse
, Of hundreds of years, it is possible to find
in India racial types representing the
descendants of all invading peoples.
This has made it most difficult for
Great Britain to establish rules and reg
ulations and to enact laws to aid all,
and obviously this condition has been
the chief handicap in granting India
: its requested independence. But the sit
, uation would fit perfectly into the code
Of Nal or Japanese rule. for the iron
hand would be law and such thing as
, independence would be a far-fetched
, subject.
Since Hitlers undeclared war started,
J Great Britain has been striving to convey
to the people of India something Of their
plight were they under dictator. How
; effective this effort has been no one can
tell, but even where it has had the most
favorable reception. India is without
modern weapons Of war in sufficient
quantities to meet prepared enemy sue
cessfully Great Britain and her allies
are holding the fort as best they can,
and wherever they can, to keep India
from being thrown into the caldron Of
war. But with so many other fronts on
which to fight. and not overlooking the
possibility Of an early drive by the Nazis
on the British Isles, 1t is a very difficult
problem with which to deal.
Indias lack Of sufficient equipment to
wage modern war, and the probability
of not having enough allied strength
for protection, point again to the posi-
bility that both Germany and Japan
will seek to seize it. Russia has shown
already that Hitler's chances to win there
are remote, even diminishing every day.
Comparatively speaking, Japanese sue