"There is in every -Province, I think, a considerable number Indians, who while ardent nationalists to the core, are yet even more 80 social reformers. They desire most strenuously to initiate measures of reform in health, in the improvement of agriculture, helping the poor—in short in doing their utmost to raise the standard of life of the. people. If there is to be some measure of Provincial self-Government in the now Constitution these will sce that the opportunity in the future will be theirs. They may be able achieve some of the objects that they so earnestly desire. There has been, I think, a move to the right among these reformers. I believe, and I hope and trust, that many of them are prepared to co-. operate in the future. I think moreover that the declaration made by his Excellency the Viceroy was issued in an attempt to accelerate and to cement this move to the ight to gain ce-operation by removing doubt as to Britain's eventual policy in India and to concede to them the round-table conference.
"That conference, the idea of it with its equality of status between India's leaders and British Ministers and representatives, came originally from Mr. C. R. Das, and I wish he were alive to find' that his great wish had been realized.
"Many of our branches have expressed their approval of the policy of the Council in sending the cable to the Secretary of State voicing our support and our insistence that, the declaration made no difference to the report of the Statutory Com-jon. Has the Viceroy's declaration had the success which it deserved? We can but hope that' it has and will have that success. For the Indian leaders, it is an think not to be missed, that of discussion of the advancement of their case with argument and persuasion together with British statesmen and at such imo when the report has been issued, when it is under consideration by the Standing Committee of Parliament, and when the very dotal itself of the future Constitution i to be hammered out for adoption into the Bill of India's Constitution.
"Will the Indian leaders take the responsibility? For it comes to that. Responsibility is hard compared to the easy talk of criticism and denunciation, and I fear, lest the ensy road will be chosen, the Len intention of the leaders of the extreme left. Of those who demand independence we can have no doubt, On the issue of the report or in January, their d¥sire will be to create as much trouble and harm "There is to be, reported, an attempt at a' general strike Labour will lose not only in loss of, wages, but it may be in life and blood, shareholders will lose trade, and commerce will lose, the country will lose, all will be the poorer. But that is as nothing if the oxtremist_is able to harm the British Government and British "Intense agitation can now be fanned only amongst labour and the students.
"The present seems to me to be the moment when the objects and the policy of your Associat should once more be defined. The main objective is defence but never will it be defiance. We shall defend, should they be attacked, our rights in this country, We shall defend our legitimate livelihood, our trade and our commerce, and we shall defend with all the vigour, energy and resistance of which the British are capable, but we hope and trust that our rights will not be assailed. For, in the future as in the past, we earnestly desire to ce-operate with our Indian fellow-subjects in all that represents pro-press."
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.