A WELCOME COUNTERBLAST

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1930, Page 6

A WELCOME COUNTERBLAST

The English-speaking world, or at least that section .of it which takes air interest in American newspapers, is condemned from time to time to iieiu or j'ead vehement ahd even virulent criticism o'!’..Britain for what she lias' done or has failed to do in India.' " : Arecent. letter ,to the ‘ ‘Times’ ’ contained some quotations from a sermon'delivered by Dr Parker Cad-man; which' provided a welcome relief from this monotonous and rather repulsive faro; Dr. .Cadmun “preaches”- over tire radio to audiencs (if about4o,ooo,ooo' all over the United States, and lie has cer- ; tainly ;: made himself heard to good;eifeck: In one of his recent delivei’anc-; es he point- out that Mexico has only 16,00.0,6.00. people, while India holds: 890,000,003 or more, “Does any American statesman,” lie asked, “know what to do with Mexico ? It he dbes* let him stand up and say so.” The history of India, ho maintained, since the day-of-.Britaiii’-s advent there- has -been a record'- of prq'gress,;. aii.d ; oif the growth of-.a spirit of nationality,. “and Br’tatnlierself lias fostered the feeling of independence tyliicli pony threatens her ruin.” He'-, condemns thq.tendency of' many Americans -, ‘.‘to derogate and speak with disparagement of Britain” on every possible -occasion, and lie concludes with a peroration that frdir.r American lips is quite inspiring: “Give me leave to say that—the British Em-.-pire is the greatest force for Christian civilisation and political freedom. inAtJio. world to-day, and what she cannotvtia' for India cannot be done by any Tower.” It is a pity that there are hot more people- in the United States as broad-minded, as unprejudiced and. as courageous as Dr Cadman.