FREE FEDERATION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 86, 2 December 1931, Page 5

FREE FEDERATION

(British Official Wireless.)

NATIVE DELEGATES OUTLINE VIEV/S TO ROUND TABLE | CONFERENCE j 0 MESSAGE TO KING-EMPEROR

RUGBY, Monday. The pieuary session of the Indian Coiufererace was continued this morisiiijg, and it is hoped the J general dliscussion will be concluded this evening. In the light of- this discussiom the Cabinet

will mahe a further examination of the situation late to-night and The Prime Minister will mahe a statement on behalf of the Government to-morrow, During the afternoon session a message was dispatched to the KingEmperor, tendering "Loyal and heartfelt gratitude for the gracious favours once more received at your Majesty's hands." The message added: "They (the delegates) are deeply conscious of Your Majesty's unfailing solicitude for the wellbeing of the princes and people of their Motherland, and they believe Your Majesty needs no assurance that in no other part of yourrealm is there a livelier sense of loyalty and devotion tb Yonr Majesty's throne and person." Mr. Jayakar said the constitution scheme had three angles, namely (1) federation, (2) central responsibility and (3) safeguards. It had been accepted by Congress, India's greatest [ political organisation. There were many details to be worked out, but that was no reason for mutilating the scheme by offering only part of it to India. If the Government brought out the whole scheme, making their intention clear and providing for the removal of difficulties step by step, India would surely be patient providing only reasonable time was taken over it. India had se-t her heart on the federation. Sir Phiroze Sethna declared that serious consequences would follow if only provincial autonomy were offei*ed. The Moslems and other minorities rightly insisted that when responsibility at the centre was ffiven

their interests should be safeguarded, but as they had failed to reach an agreement among themselves it now rested with the Government to settle the communal differences and call on the Indians to work on the constitution in a manner leading to peace and contentment. Grant of Complete Libesrfcy. | The Marquess of Reading- said the method of the conference had been completely vindicated, and he hoped that the method would continue. They could not hope at this conference to reach a full agreement, but sufficient agreemept might be reached enabling

India to accept the proposals to be put before Parliament by the British GovI ernment. Although he was the oldest j. of the de-legates, he devoutedly prayed that he might live to see the federation of all India in active being. With that federation, India might be prosperous and happy in her future and above all as she progressecl towards her ultimate constitutional destiny she would always desire to continue as a willing partner in the British Empire. The Diwan Bahadur Ramachadra Rio, said it was absolutely essential for the suecess and future of the.

federation to secure the co-operation and goodwill of the peoples and States All reasonable concessions should be made to their legitimate political aspirations and federal citizenship should also be conferred on them. i Raja Sher Muhammad Khan of Domedi, repudiated the suggestion that the size of the army in India and the number of British troops should be reduced. No constitution could be worked unless they were free -from foreign aggression and inte-rnal disorders. i Mrs Sarojini Naidu appealed for a grant of complete liberty, which, would make it possible for a free India to stand side by side with Britain in an equal partnership. Captain Wedgewood Benn, Secre-t-ary of State for India, said the conference, could not take its final decision until the communal problem was solved. Was it not possible, however, to draw np the heads of an understanding imposing- reeiprocal obligations, which could be taken to Parliament to be ratified. He urged the Prime Minister not to let tomorrow be a day of pronouncements followed by compliments, but a day of reeiprocal undertakings, so that the second session of the conference might be crowned by a treaty of goodwill.