INDIA'S CAPITAL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1371, 23 February 1912, Page 5

INDIA'S CAPITAL.

THE CHANGE CRITICISED. By Teloeraoh-PHM Acsdclitlon-CnDTrlßhl (l!«e. February 2.1, 0.4.1 a.m.) London, February 22. Lord ('1117.011, speaking in the House of Lords, raised a debute on tho removal of tho capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. This step, he said, had been taken on the initiative of a. Viceroy who had only been in India for a few months, and without consultation with who had been responsible for the Government of India for twenty-five years. Not a single representative body in India favoured the policy, lie feared the removal of tho capital would be more serious for the country than for Calcutta. It was undesirable from a military standpoint, and there was also n danger that it would make the Government more bureaucratic. Lord C 1117.011 also condemned tho new policy in Bengal. Tho agitation there was dead. Lord Crewe, Secretary of State for India, replied. The Government, ho said, had not departed from precedent in submitting the changes to Parliament. Without deprecating Calcutta, all knew that the Government of India had only been carried on there for a short period in the year, and for the rest of the year at Simla. Tho benefits of changing the capital would be greater than the damage sustained by any class of the community.