THE AND Ohinemuri News. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1909. POLITICAL TROUBLES IN INDIA.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4491, 20 November 1909, Page 2

THE AND Ohinemuri News.

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1909. POLITICAL TROUBLES IN INDIA.

This above all—to thine own self be true, ind it must follow as the night the day Thou canst not then be false to any man Shakespeare.

Thf. dastardly, but unsuccessful attempt of an anarchist to assassinate the Viceroy of India brings home to us once more the many attempts that have been made of late to intimidate British officials and wrest our Indian Empire from our grasp. That the deluded fanatics will succeed is not within the remotest bounds of probability, not to say possibility. It is very difficult in these days to say what is possible ; but it seems to be utterly incredible that the lawless band of Anarchists in India can ever succeed in wresting that country from Britain.

S What would the natives of India gain i jf British rule there came to an end tomorrow ? Would they be better » governed by their own native rulers ? No. Would their own princes be allowed to rule them ? No. There would be perpetual internal strife and wholesale butcheries. And not only so, but Russia, not to say Japan also, would give effect to her designs of occupying India. Except for Britain’s occupancy of the country Russia would have seized it long ago, and then the natives would know what it really meant to be ruled with a rod of iron, Britain has tried tha mild rule. Every consideration has been given to the rights and susceptibilities of the people of India. Many of her powerful Princes are firm supporters of British Rule, being convinced not only of the justice and wisdom of it, but satisfied also that if \ Britain retired Russia would advance. Well, now that the mild rule has pre- ' vailed and there are wide spread, ’ treasonable schemes for the overthrow of our Government. Britain’s wisest and most humane policy will be one of rigid, determined, persistent, and absolute per pression of political crime. That will be 1 the most merciful course, and it will, in , the long run, be fraught with least suffering to all concerned. Black races regard kind rule as weakness and they mistake the slow, solemo, and* careful course of justice _ for cowardice or timidity* tf riri i strong, just, unrelenting rule must be the order of the day in India, and those who are plotting the downfall of Britain must be made to see how utterly senseless and futile their opposition is. The news that two bombshells have been thrown afc the Earl of Minto and Lady Mjnio at Ahmedabad in Bombay, and that they bptb escaped with their lives and nnbiJrtwig cause a thrill of ratification in thO he»rts pf 4 right g V i'oonle throughout Brjfcain and mmded ' °y bo facfc that one the civilised ww. -i*d«d hlew off of the bombs on being Oiewoir some fingers of a native, proves that ui„ shells were dangerous missi’s, and that the thrower evidently wanted to assassinate the Viceroy. A more insane and wicked act can scarcely be imagined, because Earl Mfnto’s rule has been wise, gentle, progressive, and beneficial to the natives. It frequently happens that the worlds benefactors or a people’s best ; rulers suffer much from ingratitude and . positive wrong. Earl Miuto has the j satisfaction of knowing that the attempt • on his life was as undeserved as un- ( successfi’b and the Anarchists must be ( made to see that their efforts to strike 1 terror into the officials and the British , Government are futile. ( Hitherto the British Government has erred on tfie side of leniency ; but now { that policy n?ust be changed and justice meted out with a resolute wjll and an irres : «tible hand. For Britain to in India now will be to encourage a f rising far more serious than the dreadful c mutiny in 1857. This last outrage must * be taken a<s a warning demanding in- a gtamt and serious attention. S >me two * years ago when the British Governor of f Bengal notified the Home authorities about seething tteybjes and threatened « dangers, the Government turned a de#f * ear to him, but his words came true, and a this attempt to assissinate the Viceroy o should cause aualms of conscience on i ,tjhe part 'of those vJ?Q hitherto have t neglected warnings. P