INDIAN SERVICE.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 December 1922, Page 6

INDIAN SERVICE.

MR. SASTRI’S VIEWS. ON INDIAN REFORMS. DELHI. Dec. 27. Mr. Sastri, in his presidential address to the National Liberal Federation, otherwise the Moderate Congress, at Maggore, paid a tribute to the Hon. E. S. .Montagu, and expressed regret at the sinister intrigue which deprived him of office. Referring to the Indianisation of the civil service Mr. Sastri declared that if recruitment from Britain was possible only at greatly enhanced cost, the representatives of" the people would be reluctantly compelled to recommend cessation of such recruitment. He declared that it was indisputable that the straitened state of Indian finances was largely due to the inordinately bloated expenditure on the army. He urged the need of retrenchment and the Indianisation of officers. Dealing with his visit to the Domii. ions Mr. Sastri said that in the three he visited he saw no insuperable barrier in the way of the Indian people, similar to that reported to exist in South Africa. He considered no risks need be apprehended from granting full autonomy to the Indian provinces and concluded: “We believe in the ideals of the British Commonwealth, cherish our connection therewith, and trust that our equal partnership therein, which is admitted in theory, will soon be translated into fact.” * dh