BACK FROM INDIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 July 1919, Page 5

BACK FROM INDIA.

A visitor to Hq,wera on Tuesday was Ueut. (Temporary-Captain) R. Garden, formerly of Normanby. He has been in India for nearly two yews, whero he was sent under a scheme of training bjr which New Zealand sent a number of officers to that "coiiritry. After learning sufficient Hindustani to enable him to converse with" native soldiers, he was posted to a training corps and spent most nf hin time as an instructor. He bas had a very busy and interesting stay in India, though the climate he found very trying. In conversation with' a Sjtaf representative, he said that the spirit of insurrection is otmfined to the Ininya (storekeeper) and the lawyer classes, and thftt, speaking generally, the troops arc as loyal aa over. This, too, in spite of the ever-increasing activity of the foreign -ipits and agitators, who are very liberally supplied with money to endeavor to compass their ends. Tim question of caste is one that form? a <rrcat safeguard to British interests. Naturally, therefore, efforts are made to maintain the preservation of caste. Lieut. Gnrdeh said that boforo nnil while the Afghan trouble was on the news was heavily censored. It was reported just before the outbreak that two leaders of different religious sects had, contrary to all acknowledged custom, taken drink out of tho same cup. This was shrewdly judged a certain herald of trouble, and so it happened, He says that the secret service, known ns the Crimes Investigation Department, arc very thorough and efficient, and that they discovered evidence of a rising which, it was feared, would be much \vi«ler ami involve more than the Afghans. It is assume#, he says, that Hip movement broke out prematurely. Lieut, Garden is now on leave in New Heeland, am\ expects to get his discharge shortly.—Star.