INDIA AND TIE WAR

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3000, 10 February 1917, Page 9

INDIA AND TIE WAR

' ' SPEECH OF THE VICEROY ' s / _ Delhi, February 8. The Viceroy (Lord Chelmsford) pre-* Bided at the.first meeting of the im-perial-Legislative Counoil's winter session. The Viceroy, in a lengthy and' impressive speech, 'urged.; tie -member 5. to avoid controversial questions and to r concentrate their energies to assist the: f " Empire to achieyo'victory.- Regarding r the abolition of the system of emigration and indentured labour, tie Viceroy emphatically declared .that neither tha Government of India nor the Secretary of State would-depart from Lord Hardinge's pledges, but the abolition would require much inquiry and investigation in order to guard against a bad system being ,succeeded bv a worse one. A 1 special mission had been sent to Coylon and the Malay States, and its re--9 port was expected at the end of February. It was intended that a eonfer- * enco of representatives of Indian and colonial interests should meet "in London in May to formulate a scbeme\acceptable to both parties, and tho Coloy, nial Office would whole-heartedly accept its decision. The present foi-m of emigration must cease. The colonies were showing tho utmost readiness to co-operate and removo tho objectionable features. The Government of India e would presently undertake whatever - legislation was necessary in a' wholly s sympathetio spirit. The Government i- intended to deal expeditiously with the report of tho Public Servico Commise sion, including the question of increasi- ed employment of Indians in the higher e branches of tho scrvice. d Referring to recent ordinance.for the. r registration of European males between o the ages of 18 and 50, Lord Chelmsford [i said tlie time had arrived for India to I. release for service in the field British units which otherwise would be employed in garrison duty. The Government proposed to introduce a Bill whereby all Europeans and British subjects between the ages of 18 and 40 would he / 0 liable for general military service in .. India, those between the ages of 41." s and 60 would be compulsorily enrolled for local military scrvice, and youths ' between 16 and 18 for military training. It was also proposed to enrol Indians in their own units for general military service in India for the dura- - tion of the war, within six months. Lord Chelmsford paid a tribute to the frontier officers who had brought ® to naught the schemes against India's d security. The political importance of !- tho Mesopotamia campaign would be n known in the future. Persia remained x benevolently neutral; Siam has crush--11 ed the endeavours of our enemies; and the Amir of Afghanistan had steadfastly upheld neutrality. Referring to the enormous importance of tho three representatives chosen to attend the Dominions' Conference, tlie Viceroy said the conference marked '. r a new'chapter 'in India's history. -He 1" w.i* confident they would establish £ Titdia's. claiiii ::to?ret!)inrat the Council'd j nf the Empire the place-won by-'tlie'-' loyalty of the. pcop'.o .ami the gallantry • Jof lier soldiers.—Renter:-. .