POLICY IN INDIA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1942, Page 4

POLICY IN INDIA

ATTITUDE OF UNITED STATES

DESIROUS OF HELPING

BOTH SIDES.

SERIOUS RIOTING IN NAGPUR

(By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, August 17. The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times’’ says the United States Government is reported to have advised both the British Government and Gandhi’s representatives that it is desirous of helping both sides to reach an agreement so that India may make her full contribution to the war effort.

A report was given to the Press by the Socialist leader, Mr Norman Thomas, after a conference with the Secretary of State, Mr Hull. Mr Thomas said Mr Hull had made it clear that the United States had not formally offered her services as mediator, but had made her views known to both sides.

Mr Hull added that the United States awaited opportunities to bring pressure on both sides. The present crisis in India is understood not to have; affected the desire of the British Government, as staled by Sir Stafford Cripps, to promote maximum association of the Indians with the Government of India during the war and within the existing constitution.

The advocacy of the Hindu leaders of a provisional Government, if it means an Administration responsible only to the Indian parties ,is regarded in London as being, in effect, a demand for the surrender of power. Such a course would be inimical to both Indian interests and those of the United Nations. It is also considered that it would be of little use for a British delegation visiting India to negotiate with 'the parties, as the conversations could only be on the basis of those conducted by Sir Stafford Cripps, whose offer has been publicly reaffirmed, and remains unaffected by recent developments. The Indian Government has under consideration a proposal to call an early session of the central assembly, according to an agency’message from New Delhi. In the normal course the assembly was to meet on October 26, but it is likely that an earlier session may be held to discuss the situation arising out of the Congress action. A Bombay message reports that a collective fine has been imposed on the Ramtek area in the Nagpur district, where £2250 is being immediately collected for the destruction by fire of the police station and Government buildings by a mob of 5000 on August 13. Other collective fines are under consideration, notably for Chimur village, in the Chanda district, where a magistrate, police inspector, and possibly other policemen were killed on August 16.

Crowds at Nagpur attacked the police stations today. Some of the rioters were armed and a constable was injured. A communique states that troops in Nagpur up to August 15 had opened fire on 38 occasions, in which 32 rioters were killed and 22 wounded. The police fired on a crowd at Bangalore. One was killed and 28 wounded and some policemen were injured.