REFORMS IN INDIA.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 5

REFORMS IN INDIA.

__...,_ racial; problem. ■■■'■!.;■■ \ MOHAMMEDANS AND LORD MORLEY. JEALOUSY OF HINDUS. (DT TELEGIUPH— ritESS ASSOCIATION—COFIBIGHT.) (Rec. January 29, 1.10 a.m.) . . ... London, January 28. ( .. A deputation of Indian. Mohammedans who waited on . the Secretary for India (Lord Morloy) suggested that of the six members of the Viceroy' 3 ; Executive Council, one should be a native Mohammedan, and an other, a Hindu. .: ■ . Lord Morley, in reply, emphasised the fact that tho appointment of an Indian member of the Counoil was intended to bo a -signal proof that race was no,disability to the attainment of a , tremendous trust; but that no man should be.selected either] as a Hindu'or as a Mohammedan. While he was ready ito make one of the six members of the ''Council, a native, he saw no chance of appointing two natives. :He added, with: reference io other suggestions, that .separate, electoral-. colleges for the Mohammedans and Hindus might possibly be arranged.' ''.■■: ;■' '. \ : ; ; : -.-' Lord Morley's reply was' conciliatory in ! tone. Hβ declared that the] Government's, scheme of reforms .'had been generally wel-: corned .in ■;India. He emphasised the 'goodwill of the Indian Cjvil Service,; and said that he: also derived encouragement from President ..Roosevelt's recent.: tribute .to the beneficence of Britain's rule , in ..India; ■ : : "CONSTITUTION OF.THE COUNCIL. 1 V ■The Executive Cbunoil of the .Governoß-Gene-ral on India consists of the Viceroy and Gover-nor-General (Lord Minto),-:the Cominandor-in-Chief -of the '■ Indian Army (Lord . Kitchener),'' and six ordinary members. 'When -tW Conncil meets for purposes of legislation, .other nominated members—not more than sixteen-rsit with it;-but it- is the 'smaller; body, and: especially the six ordinary members,. that ; . the . above cablegram. deals with.\ Lord:' Morley, on. behalf-of the Indian Government,, is prepxr'ed to concede that one<of tho'six . members shall :be a native, but lie is. not to odroit two native members. • The consequence is that tho Mohammedans fear that they will be tut- : voted and sacrificed-by the, Hindus; and seve-i ral ne'i/spaper. have cmpealed to,' Lord -Merley, not to .abandon the Mohammedans/- who hiivo been conspicuous for loyalty.■■';. Lord Morloy. takes iip ,the "non-racial" standpoint) but. the recent Hindu-Mohammedan riots show how real the racial conflict is.; ,Th.e Hindu religion is; professed by 207,000,000, or nearly three-fourths of/ the population, while ; Mohfimmcdans number, about. 62,500,000 adherents/V :;':',; ; : : ■ ■'r]'-\ :-'-';v; , : :T" E .;ARMY--; ; '-- v . 1 ; ;; ' :: - ■,--■■;■ : . ; LORD 'KITCHENER HAS HIS ;' (BT TKLEOEiPH—PEES3 ASSOCIATION—COPTEIOIIT.) ''..-. '::-■' London, January 27! ; Viscount Morley ,.. Secretary-, of .State for. India, has sanctioned ; the: abolition of 'the Military-Supply Department .'in India,', thus confirming Lord Kitchener's original scheme to concentrate. , both- the. persohnol and. the supply branches of the,army. : under the';con-:! Jtrol' of the Commandor-iri-Chief; --■;' ■••■ ■ ■■•";■ .f;; -V • : : HISTORY OF■ ' Jr The iinmediatc result of tho conflict between Xord Curzon (thoii Viceroy of India) and Lord. Kitchener: (Gouimandor-in-Chief, of'the Indian Army) -.was a' compromise.:; The''resignation* ; of Lord-, Curzon followed 'shortly afterwards/ and now ..the : "Pcpartment' of < Military Supply"— tho'.pnly. advanttige: which : Lprd : Curzon's:party retained• under. the" .compromise—has ■■■'■ been;| abolished. Tho civil... control thus ■ yields up.-i the supply to themilitary, which now controls both stores ! -and personnel..,/It.niay be. that when, , on the initiative, of Lord IDtphenqr,the , ,'administration- of 'the 'Indian , Arniy.'- was reorganised during 1005; Lord Curzon; the Vicoroy,' did not,asree that the , system .was "faulty, inefficient, and i'ncapable.ofnthe expassi6n : necMsary," by: reason'Vof the;:"dual..-coutrol".bfvthe. Commander-in-Chief and-the'military member, of the yiceroy'^Cpuncil.,...The.result: was the oompromiso mentioned,, by"' whichvtwo .departments -were, established—the: "Army .'Depart-: ment,'v under ;the".Conimander-in-Chi6f, ; respond sible to-:the : Conhcil-'for command, , discipline;, and other military duties; and tho "Department of;' Militar- Supply,",' under, another .of the '.Council) and iresp'onsible forj.cb'ntrnots;. , stores, •ordnance, , remounts,--and: the .military factories.. The .latter now"disappettrs. : ■'.'. , . ■■:■„