THE RECENT TROUBLES IN INDIA

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 246, 11 July 1919, Page 7

THE RECENT TROUBLES IN INDIA

$ CLOSER VIEW OF THE OUTBREAKS CAUSES ANALYSED The kind of guerilla warfare that went on, and the state of isolation to which various villages were reduced during the recent rebellious outbreaks in India is illustrated by the following characteristic report, typical of dozens yielded by the rising since events took tho form of a trial of strength between lliu mobs and tho military (writes the special correspondent of the "Morning Post"). '

"Captain Flowerdew, of the Railway Rifles, with a small detachment, including four men of Hie Durham Light Infantry, made a daring attack on the village of Chuharkhann. Climbing on tho roofs of the houses, they killed or wounded about twenty and brought in eighteen prisoners. When Captain Flowordew's party cleared the village they, found many axes and lafhis. Missionaries report that several days before the. lino was cut at Chuharkhann the villagers used to go down to meet every (rain, in the hope of finding a European to attack."

As has been said, numberless incidents of this kind could be quoted, but tho process would bo tediou?. The outrages at Rasur yielded a fine example of heroism, iii which two British warrant officers sacrificed their lives to'save those of Mr. Sherbourne, a signal inspector, find his family, who were- travelling from Ferozeporo to Lahore. Tho two men, Selbv and Mostyn, carried Sherbourne's children from the train to'.a gatekeeper's hut, but. the irjol> came, up, smashed in the door of the hut, and succeeded in drugging out the soldiers and murdering them.. Subsequently an Indian traffic inspector got the Sherlxmrncs away to a plods of safety. Like tho great Mutiny itself, the recent affair has afforded numerous instances of Indian ■ heroism) which must be placed beside the nets of unspeakable barbarism also committed bv Indians if an idea is to be gained of the- curious amalgam in tho Indian temperament, which always has produced, and is always likely to produce, periodical crises similar to that through which tho country has just passed. Tremendous efforts were made to suborn native regiments, but in no recorded instance did such a regiment fail to perform tho work allotted to it—although, doubtless, a certain eclecticism was exercised in the choice of the units employed for llio delicate work in hand. Certain cavalry detachments did especially good work, and the British troops assembled at Deolali prior to homeward trooping set a magnificent example to the native Army by offering, voluntarily and unanimously to stay in a country of which most of them are by now heartily sick until their departure should be considered desirable. _It was .V fortunate circumstance that the rising occurred within the tlast few days of Sir Michael O'Dwyer's term of office as LieutenantGovernor of the Punjab. It has now been decided that his successor-designate, Sir Edward Maclagan, shall not immediately assume office, but shall be placed temporarily on special duty until the. situation is again completely normal. Of the places in which it was found necessary to suppress the disorders by drastic methods Gujranwala was by far the worst sufferer. The whole European population concentrated in tho church was only saved from wholesale murder by the arrival of aeroplanes from Lahore, which bombed fully half the town before submission was secured. , The Politicians' Responsibility. Needless to say, as it becomes evident that the worst is over, tho theorists are hard at work endeavouring to account for There are dim allusions —but not one shred of reliable evidence to support them—to the existence of foreign Bolsheviki in the background, and 'the Indian politicians may bo trusted to make the most of those stories. The real authors of the outbreak, however, were tho Indian' politicians themselves, who to a man refused stubbornly, and still refuse, to face the facts regarding the existence in India itself of the anarchical elements which the Rowlatt Commission revealed. With characteristic irresponsibility thev used tho Rowlatt Act— which threatens no one's liberties—to make trouble for the Government, which thqv always criticise and never support— and then, with characteristic cowardice, thev left the Government to bear the brunt. Not a single one of the Congress newspapers has given tho Government any_ support worth having during the crisis, and even now many of them are pressing- for. "inquiries" into ovents which began in broad daylight with the murder, or attempted murder,' of Europeans. Of the politicians Gandhi undoubtedly must share the major responsibility for the bloodshed. It was ho who made the appeal' to the element of religious fanaticism which is always dangerous in India, and he himself, in abandoning his, passivo resistance campaign "temporarily," now confesses that" "he feels sorry that when ho embarked upon a mass movement he underrated the forces of evil." On him and on those who spread broadcast through India the lie—now universally believed—that tho BowMt Act empowers the police to /irresfJ Indians whenever four of them are gathered together, subject them and their families to nameless indignities, and refuse them legal redress, falls the main responsibility. Tho Government is doing its best to overtake this lie, but it has already travelled 100 far, and cannot now be easily contradicted to the satisfaction of India's vast uneducated masses.

It has been said that not a sinsle orthodox Indian newspaper or politician has given the Government the slightest help. Mention should be made, however, of Indians of the non-political tyro who have done their best to tell the truth and suoport tho cause of law and order. Thus Sir D. P. Sarhodhikary. formerly Viee-Chanc§lor of Calcutta University, spoke out clearly when ho said: '"Those responsible for good government, for life, liberty, and the safekeeping of the people and'their prosperity are bound to put down disorder peremptorily with the heaviest hand, and in this essentTal ( work they are entitled to the, wholehearted and.prompt co-operation of the people and all claiming to be their leaders. No double-edced sentiment with distant"meanings, nor hollow, mysterious, and mystio formulae will answer, but Hie disclaimer and denunciation have to be pronounced and unequivocal. , One has.tn sneak straight from the shoulder and deliver the blow eounlly straight from the shoulder, if need 'bo, in the interest of law. good government, order, and peace. India cannot, in her own interests and out of loyalty to the Throne that has done so much to build her up from amidst abyssmal ruin, be guilty of even contributory default."

There are other exceptions to the general rule of inconsequence and cowardice which has marked tho conduct of tho Indian leaders, but nearly always tho exceptions havo been distinguished men wlib" fake no part in polities. That the politicians feel that their conduct hns incurably jeopardised tho "Reform" scheme, which would assign to their unrepresentative class a large share in the responsibility for governing India, is apparent from' their- everv speech and artio.in. Oerrainlv to-day there could not be found in India six Englishmen all told who would advocate persisting with the_more advanced nnrtions of the Montagu pwramme. The disorders and their ritewlents linvo amply proved that Tho political leaders have no si.nsc of responsibility and no contact with, much less control over, the masses whom they profe«; ro lead; while tho masses have proved themselves credulous, and on occasion violent, beyond anvthinp the Menu's of India had supposed possible.

The prize cup given by Queen Mary in the Women's War Services Competition —in handicraft, art. work, recdlework, and songs—was won by Iho Q.M.A.A.C.'s, with 152 points. The W.ll.A.l'V's obtained 102 points, and the W.lMi.X.'.s (12. Tho cup, which is to bo engraved with tho name of the winning corps, > as presented by (he Queen at a concert in the Savoy Hotel given by prize-winners in the musical and dramatic ".ections.

Norman Ross, of tho Olymnie Club, San Francisco, made a now world's swimming record at the Illinois Athletic Club's open meeting, covering BSO vards in lOmin. 5 2-ssec: Tho former record was llmin. 14 1-Ssec. Ross is stated to havo broken seven intermediate records during his performance.