OCCASIONAL NOTE

The Leader of Allahabad may always be expected to take an individual line on most subjects, and in defining its attitude towards the recent Khalifat deputation to the Viceroy it fully justifies this tradition. It contrasts the aggressive character of the address, and the still more aggressive character of its rejoinder to the Viceroy, with the statesmanlike and sympathetic tone of His Excellency’s remarks. Our contemporary justly points out that the whole weight of the Indian Government and the Secretary of State was behind the Indian representatives who argued the case for Turkey before the Supreme Council, and adds:- “The depth, weight and volume of this opinion cannot be disregarded by British representatives at the final settlement, and if still its terms are unsatisfactory, or fall short of the Muslim deputation’s minimum, we hope and trust that reasonable and just-minded Muslim opinion in this country will not fix the responsibility of it on Britain, but will recognise that the best that could be done was done and that better could not be achieved owing to the practical difficulties of the situation.” Anything in the nature of constructive comment is to be welcomed at this stage in India’s political development, and it is to be hoped that the bold and statesmanlike lead thus given will be followed by other writers and speakers on the Moderate side.

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LAWLESS IRELAND

Interviewed by Le Journal, Lord French said that all Irishmen must not be condemned because of individuals who attempted to assassinate him. He attributed the principal cause of the trouble to the fact that emigration had stopped for five years, and young men, having refused to serve their country, felt shame at their abstention and imagined that their exploits made them heroes whereas they were only braggarts. Order would be restored if martial law were proclaimed, but this should only be done as a last resource because however leniently and efficaciously it was applied, it would leave a legacy of bad memories and irritation. A beginning should therefore be made by suppressing the instigators of outrages. It was his duty to restore order in Ireland and he would not fail to do so.

FINANCIAL REVIEW OF 1919

In its annual financial review of 1919, the Times says, with regard to gold, that last year will take precedence of any year since 1813 for eventfulness, and inter alia, it has confirmed the conclusion of the leading economists of the nineteenth century that gold, despite its limitations, provided the most suitable basis of a sound currency system. These conclusions triumphed in the restoration after five years of a free market in the sale of the current output. The permission granted to Australian producers, in order to prove their contention that they were receiving less than the market value, resulted in their disposing of two hundred and ten thousand ounces, averaging ninety-five shillings and nine pence per standard ounce, in the four months to July 1st.

THE NEW INDIAN DEFENCE FORCE BILL

ALLAHABAD, JAN 28

The Pioneer understands that the Bill for the Constitution of an Auxiliary Force of European British subjects, to take the place of Indian Defence Force, is about to be published. The principles underlying the proposals have been generally accepted, but some of the organisations consulted are of opinion that the Advisory Committees to be appointed under the Bill should have a majority of nonofficials, and that these committees should be empowered to make recommendations regarding the extent of the training to be given in their particular localities and the manner in which training should be carried out. Other recommendations put forward are that offences should be tried by District Magistrates instead of by court-martial in the event of the accused declining the option of summary punishment by the Officer Commanding.

INDIAN NURSES HOSTEL FUND

Lady Carmichael today presided over an influential meeting at Lady Minto’s house in support of Lady Rogers’ Indian Nurses’ Hostel Fund. Sir Sankaran Nair said hostel accommodation was essential if the status of the nursing profession for Indian ladies was to be sufficiently raised. Mrs. Montagu said they must be encouraged by consideration of the great traditions of English nursing, which was now unequalled in the world and had been built up in little over half a century. She announced that pound 2,562 had already been raised here, while various commercial houses had instructed their Indian branches to subscribe in India.