Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1943-03-03
last Of Series.j
BY DEWITT MACKENZIE.

/
| ferences with Mahomed Ali Jinnah.
brilliant leader of Indias great
| Moslem minority, it was with the
| hunch--1 can't describe it as any
| thing more concrete-that he would
! De willing to compromise on his
! program for Pakistan "a wholly in
! dependent Moslem state> and there
by perhaps pave the way for gen.
eral settlement Of the whole Indian
! political crisis.
| l found much encouragement
among other observers who know
Jinnah well, though they in turn
lacked any definite assurance from
the great man Pakistan is more
than a MOslem ideal-it's powerful
weapon and the Moslem leader is too
far-sighted to abandon it before it
has served its purpose of forcing
large concessions to safeguard the
interests of the Moslems.
l hasten to add that this thought
Is no reflection on Mr.. Jinnah'S I'M
doubted sincerity. He believes in
pakistan.
One OF the most surprising and
hopeful signs which Mr. Jinnah let
fall was his offer to Join with the
Hlndus in government for the
duratio nof the war, for the purpose
of supporting the war effort" There
Wss proViso that the British gov
eminent and the HinduS must agree
to the principle of PakiStan.
British Initiative Urged.
Now that's mighty important. I've
already reported that l found
widespread belief in India that the
solution of the political crisis would
be for the British government arbi-
trarily to establish a provisional ma
tlonal government and invite all the
warning factions to participate in
the interests of the Allied war effort.
Those advocating this included such
great figures as DR.. Syama Prasad
Mookerjee, working president of the
orthodox Hindu organiza. ion known
as the Hindu Mahasabha, and Sir
Tel Bahadur Sapru, the famous
Hindu liberal.
1t Is felt that the war service
would provide the medium TO draw
the parties together. In that con-
nection it is highly interesting to
note that DR.. Mookerjee and Mr..
Jinnah, both of whom advocate this
sensational move, are heads of po-
litical organizations which are the
bitterest of opponents
Another point which Mr.. Jinnah
made to me was that the provisional
government should be set up imme-
diately, in view of the Importance of
India to the Allied cause.
That agrees exactly with my own
observations. 1t is dangerous to the
general war effort to allow this de-
structive political crisis to drag on in
one Of the most vital of the Allied
bases. But let me give you Mr..
Jlnnah's complete statement re-
garding this proposal:
Will Support War.
"Reverting to your question re-
garding a compromise, if the Brit
ish government and the Hindus will
agree to the principle of partition
tpaklstan) then the Moslems will
participate in a government for the
duration of the war, for the purpose
OF supporting the war effort.
However, this must be contingent
on the British government giving
categorical promise that partition
will be carried out after the war if
majority of Moslems vote for it in
plebIscite in the various Moslem
provinces. In other words, there
nuts be no monkey business.
IF a plebiScite is taken and a ma
jority Of Moslems don't vote for par
tition, why then I shall salute all
hands and call off pakistan alto
gether. (And the colorful Jinnah,
who years ago was a Shakespearean
actor, saluted)
IF the British government Will
give this promise, and the Hindus
refuse to participate in this war gov
eminent, then the Moslems will CO.
operate with any other elements in
the country in our own interests and
those of the Allies and defend India
against any aggressor.
Il believe that India should make
this contribution, and I think that
it should be done Immediately. 1t is
unwise to leave the political situa-
ton in its present state in view OF
the Importance of India to the cause
Of the United Nations"
Could Continue Cooperation.
Well now, one can see with half an
eye that if the Indian factions could
work together for the duration of
the war, there would be real hopes of
their being able to continue that CO.
operation after the war. So I think.
Mr. Jinnah. that your suggestion
not only is highly constructive but
deliberately invites a trial to see
whether Hindus and Moslems can't
live together in amity.
Sapru gave me some pertinent OBJ
servations on Jinnahs position. Said
this great Hindu liberal.