RULE IN INDIA

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20989, 16 December 1939, Page 3

RULE IN INDIA

ABHORRENCE OF NAZIS DIFFICULTY OF GOVERNMENT HUGE LOYAL GIFTS (Official Wireless) RUGBY, Dec. 14 In a statement to-day in the House of Lords the Marquess of Zetland said the Indian Princes and peoples continued to express “detestation of the crimes perpetuated by Nazi Germany against all the laws of*God and man,” and instances the Viceroy’s fund, which totalled £475,000, for which no appeal had been made. Further examples were gifts from the Maharaja of Gondal and the Nawab of Rampur, the former having allocated £7500 for the dependents of those lost in the H.M.S. Royal Oak, and the latter have given 1,000,000 rupees for motor ambulances. For the benefit of German propagandists, who spent time explaining the plight of the Indian people, Lord Zetland said he would like to add a single other example of generosity. “In one district of the Punjab, with a few wealthy people among the residents,” he said, “the Governor was recently handed a wholly unsolicited gift of 17,000 rupees, all in currency notes, to aid in overthrowing Nazi Germany.” Rush to Enlist Neither was the assistance limited to money gifts. Among the martial races there had been a spontaneous and eager desire to enlist in the forces. Turning to the political field, Lord j Zetland regretted to say that dim- | eulties persisted. While in the Pun- ! jab, Bengal and Sind Governments i the Legislature was successfully j functioning, and in Assam an alter- | native Government had accepted j office, in seven other provinces which had Congress Ministers the Administration had been taken over by the Governors. Although the transition had been effected smoothly, and, broadly speaking, the policies had been assented to by the Legislatures before the representations were being carried out, the transfer was contrary to the desire of the British Government and put back the hands of the clock 30 years. Government Could Not Agree Lord Zetland dealt with the latest Congress statement, and said the Government could not agree that no communal differences arose in meeting the Congress demands. He pointed out that no Constitution could be expected to function successfully unless met by the assent of the minorities. The main difficulty was still the differences of opinion between the Congress and the Moslem League. Although a numerical minority, there were between 80,000,000 and 90,000,000 affected. Lord Zetland appealed to the leaders on both sides to call a truce, and there was some little encouragement from the report that Pandit Jawahrlal Nehru and Jinnah had arranged a further discussion, which he hoped would cover a wide field. In conclusion, Lord Zetland said the internal difficulties did not lessen the abhorrence with which all Indian creeds and communities viewed the Nazi system. Nazi Propaganda Lord Zetland added that German propaganda suggested that India should look to Nazi Germany for freedom. “ The conception of Hitler the liberator is so grotesque,” he said, “ as to bring a smile to the face of anyone except possibly a German. If Hitler’s associates ipiagine that they may look for aid ffom India they are heading for one of the greatest disillusionments of their lives.”