Not an inch of space is wasted by: soldiers on the roving on to Loyang. ment, however carefully worded, exact very explicit guarantees would be twisted and expanded from Egypt before the Agres-by the agile Babu to something: ment with Mahmud Pasha can be ratified. Nor can we lightly very much beyond what the words rightly mean. It is use-set aside the opinion of those who hold that the Dominion less for Captain Wedgwood Benn to emphasize that no gloss status declaration was made at a most inopportune time. Four must be put upon" the state-Indian ex-Governors, all men of ment; that it "means what it says, no less and no more." The great distinction, Lord Sydenquestion is, What use will the ham, Lord Meston, Sir Michael Indian political agitator con-O'Dwyer, and Sir Reginald trive to make of i2, In which Craddock, have written jointly one may remember to "The Times" to protest again that in Oriental polities, against the declaration as "an improper anticipation of the re~ be expressed by some, the tail port shortly to be submitted to almost invariably wags the doz.
Parliament" by the Simon Com~ The only confidence which the mission, the effect of which "cag British public may feel de-only be to confuse the position in pends upon the personal charac-India and to detract from the, ters of the Viceroy and the Secretary of State for India. The prestige of the Commission." A®) though Sir John Simon himself late Mr. Montagu was a theorist, declared in the House of Com-whose excursions into constitu ons that he and his colleagues tional reform have never did not require "either heated any enthusiasm among the ma-championship or abject apology, jority of the business community one may well believe that his of India, still less those who only feeling was, as far as pos have to bear the burden of her sible, to avert aggravation Government, and, if all accounts most unfortunate incident. The be true, Indian politicians, part-Commission as a whole unicularly the Brahmin class, who doubtedly felt that the Declarie have no taste for any future tion was inopportune and cal-democratic scheme which would lated to prejudice their report. lower their high estate among Dominion status is certainly rev the castes of India, were no cognized as the ultimate goal better satisfied with it. If Lord for India; but there has never Irwin has not won the personal yet been any real reason to esteem of the people he has to suppose that its attainment is govern, it is through no fault of not still a long way off. And his own, He has given the clos-meanwhile, the British Raj est and most sympathetic attonresponsible for the government tion to their needs and desires, of India. It is to be feared that and has consistently made it his the only result of the declaration' business by personal investiga-will be to inflame expectations: tion, cutting behind both nain Indian political circles, which tive politicians and permanent cannot possibly be gratified for departments, to ascertain the many years, and that it will thug conditions of life of the people add to the already great difficult themselves, Added to this is ties of those responsible for the the fact that Captain Wedgwood welfare of India and the peace of Benn's appointment as Secretary the hundreds of millions of of State for India was, perhaps, whom it might well be said, the most popular choice in the of the inhabitants of ancient Labour Government. He is gen-Nineveh, that they "cannot dis-orally regarded as sane, earnest, cern between their right hand and balanced. He is liked by all and their left hand." parties and appears to be the last man likely to act precipitantly or for those reasons of political expediency: which so frequently
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.