INDIA CONFERENCE

Hokitika Guardian, 26 November 1931, Page 5

INDIA CONFERENCE

AN EARLY CLOSE. 1 i .1 • s (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright-} RUGBY, November 24. It is generally expected that the present session of the Indian Round Table Conference will be brought to a close about the middle of next week. The Eederal Structure Committee today resumed its discussion on commer cial safeguards. The only remaining -y reserved subject for discussion is that of financial administration. The committee will approve a brief report on these matters before they are passed on the plenary session, at which the Primi Minister will make a statement on the policy of the Government. The terms of this statement will be governed, to a large extent, by the results of private conversations which ■were begun yesterday, when the Prime (Minister, accompanied by Ivord Sankey and 'Sir S. Hoare, met the leader's of important sections of the Indian delegations. These interviews were continued to-day, when Mr Gandhi and I others were received by the Prime (Minister. ■. Very strong pressure has been brought to bear upon the Prime Minister by a Section of the Conservative . j iParty members- in Parliament) led by ■d' iMr W. Churchill, to have a debate in ' the (House of Commons before Mt Mac- * (Donald's speech at the plenary conference, Summing up the results, and restating the Government’s policy in Undiai is delivered. “The Times" -says: There, presumably, would be no difficulty about staging such a debate before the House rises; but there is no .essential connection between the proceedings in Parliament at this stage and <■ Mr MacDonald’s closing speech as Chairman of the Indian Conference. The “Manchester Guardian" says: ■«. The Prime Minister has a- united Cabinet behind him in standing by the declaration, which he made, at the close of the last conference. Meanwhile, although it is recognised that a settlement among delegates themselves of th|j communal -problem would .have been incomparably better, the Prime \ Minister’s offer of help from the British Government still stands, and his ■v efforts to compose the differences are being continued. , ■' ' The 'Moslem delegates to the Conference were the guests of - a National Deague ■ reception, at which the Aga Khan said that they wanted to live in seif-respecting, amity, and on terms of equality and friendship with other - peoples and races. ' ■Sir Muhamad Shafi said that the Moslems believed, with all sincerity, that the future of India lay within the British Commonwealth of Nations. They would do all' in their power to . counteract any movement designed '"to bring about separation; =•< - During ' to-day’s debase on finance, i Sir Tej Sapru Suggested that they - might provision j.n the Statute for the establishment of a Financial Council for the period of transition to advise thi Finance Minister with regard to currency and exchange. Thepower of disallowance that was vested in the 'Governor-General would afford the amplest possible guarantee for a safe and sound administration of the j currency and the exchange during the l period of transition. In addition, there was the power of dissolution. With ...regard to the- raising of future loans, he would propose that there be a public loans board to advise. ’ ' Lord Beading said that the** position at present in the financial world was "confused and difficult, and the Indian finances could never be free from some .dependence on international finance. The currency and exctiange should be dealt with by a Reser\ <= Bank along non-political lines, which 1 bank would have the management of the land of the . exchange only. Lord Reading explained that the views which he here ' expressed were personal, and that these veservav? tions upon which he ’ insisted were ' meant solely to give confidence to in- . vestors' in India. The investments in India,' he said, amounted to about 350 millions sterling, and it > was desired to retain unimpaired India’s financial credit and stability. V J BURMA CONFERENCE. L/" >. RUGBY, NoVemser Z 5. ' Additional delegates to the Burma Bound Table Conference, which the Prince of Wales will inaugurate on Friday, are announced. They are - Sir 6. Hoare, Lord Lothian and Miss May Oung, who will represent the Burmese women.

DRASTIC POLICY. AGAINST AGITATORS. RUGBY, November 25. In the House of Lords, Lord Loth fan. replying in a debate on India, which was raised by Lord Frontfp: •’ ■ announced that drastic action would be ■taken to end terrorism, which, lm said, was a menace to individual liberty and social peace. Real self-government could not develop where anarchy and terrorism were allowed to thrust constitutional government aside. It was no exaggeration to say that to-day, in some of 'the districts of Bengal, every officer of the Government went about his duties in peril of his..iife. , . LORI) ET.IBANK’S, SUGGESTION. (Received this dnv at 9.25 n.nrt LONDON. Nov. 25. In the Lords, Lord Elibank suggested the deportation of Gandhi and his fellow conspirators to the Andamans, if when he returned to India, they continued to foment trouble.