Churchill Speaks On The New India And The Commonwealth

Chronicle (Levin), 29 April 1949, Page 5

Churchill Speaks On The New India And The Commonwealth

Received Friday, 10.20 a.m. LONDON, April 28. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Churchill, told the House of Commons this afternoon that he did not feel that either His Majesty or the Crown, or the personal dignity of the King, had been impaired by the conditions under which India remained in the Commonwealth. On -the contrary, the vital significance and value of the Monarchy seemed to have been enhanced.

Mr. Churchill spoke after the Lord President of the Councii, Mr. Herbert Morrison, had read the official declaration on India's new status "in order that a decision which will be regarded as his'oric in the evolution of the Commonwealth mav take its place in the records of this House." Mr. Churchill said he had no 'doubt that most of the House would wish India to remain, of her own free will and desire, in the Commonwealth. India's present attitude seemed more favourable to continue the association than it did six months ago. "It is the duty of us all to try our best to make this new eXpression of the unity of our world- wide association of states and nations a practical and lasting success. We may see coming into view an even larger synthesis of states and unions, comprising both the United States of America and a united Europe, which may perhaps at no distant day bring to harassed and struggling humanity real security for peace and freedom, and for health and home." "I am unfeignedly glad," added Mr. Churchill, "that an impassalfie gulf has not opened between the new India and the British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations, or between our favoured past in India and our anxious present all over the world." Smuts Expresses Misgivings. Mrs. Asaf Ali, leading; Indian

socialist, today described the Commonwealth Prime Ministers' agreement as "yet another imperiaiistic triumph for the so-called socialist Government of Britain," says Reuter's Bombay correspondent. In Capetown, General Smuts expressed his misgivings about the way india nad claimed full membership of the Commonwealth. He said: "Despite the general chorus of approval, I cannot forbear expressing misgivings. Thd only catisfactory feature is that aithough the link of allegiance to the King is scrapped for India, it is left intact for other members of the Commonwealfh." General Smuts said that the conference had introduced an essentially revolutionary principle whose application in other cases might yet affect profoundly the future of the Commonwealth. A new eoncept of a functionless and merely symbolic kingship as head of the Commonwealth had been introduced in order to accommodate India in the Commonwealth. "The clear and true character of the Commonwealth is obscured and may disappear in . a mist of misleading verbiag,e. In the change now made there is implicit permission, if not encouragement and an invitation, to a member state to adopt the republican constitution and still remain in the Commonwealth. I fear that the declaration will start a ball rolli'ng which may go further than can he foreseen today."