STABBING CHARGE
After four days of deliberations, in which Mr. Gandhi participated, the Congress AGAINST
working committee has called to Congress committees throughout India to pre- pare for a declaration of satyagraha (civil disobedience).
The resolution recommends members of Congress who are unable to shoulder the burden of the struggle under the disciplined guidance of Congress to re- sign executive positions, and again emphasises the fulfilment of Mr. Gandhi's conditions for a civil disobedience campaign.-Reuter.
Final Appeal Made
Lord Zetland: By Lord Official Statements
London, To-day.
THE HOUSE OF COMMONS yesterday debated on the extension of the time limit of the proclama- tions giving executive authority to the governors of those Indian provinces where the Congress Ministries had resigned.
not
Sir Hugh O'Neill, Under-Secretary for India, declar- ed provincial government in India had broken down and that the provinces which working themselves comprised one-third of tish India.
Millions of people in India had been staggered and deeply disappointed as the result of the conference between the Viceroy and Mr. Gandhi ending
in deadlock.
Sir Hugh added: "His Majesty's Government cannot of course accept
for the Congress demand complete independence.
"They note with profound regret the Congress rejection of Dominion status."
try and I should have thought our reasons for saying that would have
been both understood and accepted as
Lord Zetland. recapitulated the rea- sons why the Government could not. from the shaping of
be dissociated
the future Indian constitution, point- ing out that the existence of the
Princes was largely the result of his-
forces and, he said, however one might
tory, the British stake in the country was equally the outcome of historical were like to do so, it was impossible to treat Bri-historical events as if they had never
Defence Of India
happened.
ment and said that belief in such a meeting although not held by Con- The defence of India, Lord Zetland gress Party leaders had the support said, was also a consideration as for of such men as the Chief Justice of the time being at any rate India, in- Prime dependent of Britain, would not be
the Federal Court and the Minister of the Punjab.
The demand of the Congress Party, Lord Zetland said, was for complete independence for India and for the drafting of the future constitution by a Constituent Assembly elected on the basis of adult suffrage. This was op- He added that compliance with the posed by the Muslims and not only demand would mean the complete by them but by the leaders of the severance of India from all associa-scheduled castes and the Liberal Na- tion with the rest of the Empire, |tional Federation as well. banishment of the Crown from any Counsel Of Despair
India
place in the Indian Constitution, and
The resolution of the All throwing overboard obligations to the Muslim community and other minori-Muslim League which put forward a ties and the Princes.
•
Viceroy's Assurances The Viceroy had made it clear it was the Government's policy to give full Dominion status at the earliest possible moment and to enter into ex- amination of the whole constitutional sphere with all parties and interests in India.
None of their advances had met with any response.
secure..
"CONCHY"
·London, To-day. Henry Ballentine Best, 24, of Manchester, appeared at the Manchester police court yesterday on a charge of wounding with intent to murder Judge Burgis, chair- man of the Lancashire-Che- shire Conscientious Objectors Tribunal.
Judge Burgis was stabbed four times in the back at the station while awaiting the train after he had presid....... ed all day at the Tribunal in Man-i chester.
Best yesterday pleaded not · guilty and reserved his defence. He was committed to trial.
.
It was stated that on the day be- fore the attack, Best appeared be- fore the Tribunal and his application, to be registered as a conscientious objector was dismissed.
Judge Burgis had not sufficiently re- covered to appear in court.-Reuter.
SPY HUNT IN
TURKEY
(SPECIAL TO "CHINA MAIL") Istanbul, To-day. Special police brigades are now conducting searches of suspected aliens with great thoroughness.
This follows recent incidents includ- ing the arrest of suspected aliens, who Britain, he continued, was under an were watching ship movements or the -- obligation to minorities and for all Bosphorus shores, and the expulsion these reasons he felt it impossible for of a German "journalist" who was a förbidden Britain not-to take part in the mak-taking photographs in ing of the future Indian Constitution. zone.
He concluded by pointing out that a A high official has been arrested for measure of agreement amongst the subversive action against the State. Indian communities was essential if and will be tried before a military United India was to become a reality court. and he appealed to the Congress Party not to close the door "upon the unity of India they themselves so passion- ately desire."-British Wireless.
Havas.
TWO 50,000
scheme involving the partition of the EASTERN BONDS DOWN TON SHIPS
country into separate Muslim and Hindu States, Lord Zetland described as "something not far short of a counsel of despair."
IN LONDON:
London, To-day.
J. and F. Coats' profits were £2,188,000 compared with £1,535,000 the previous year.
Wall Street was Reuter.
Washington, To-day, The Bill appropriating $964,000,000 for the U.S. Navy during the fiscal year beginning July I was passed by the Senate yesterday and sent back to the House of Representatives for action on minor amendments.
The measure includes funde for laying down two new battleships which may be as large as 50,000 tons each.
irregular.
A
Eight other U.S. battleships are already in course of construction. Reuter.
The situation confronting the par- Eastern bonds declined on the Stock ties concerned-Congress, the Muslims Exchange yesterday by one to two the Princes and Britain was deadlock, points on International stresses. Else and all more tragic, he continued,
where trading was small and move- because "the interests and sympathies
ments irregular. of the contending parties in the strug- gle we are waging against Nazi Ger- If civil disobedience wère resort-many are identical. ed to the Government would bo Lord Zetland said he thought what bound to take full measures to Britain had undertaken to do as counteract it.
a contribution towards, a solution had not been fully understood, and con- tinued: "Though I attach real im- portance to it I do not now dwell upon the offer we have made with a view to securing the cooperation of the Lord Zetland's Speech political parties in the central gov- In the Lords, the Secretary of State ernment since this offer may be re- for India expressed regret at the ne- garded, apart from its intrinsic merits, as an earnest of our intentions regard- cessity for motions and shortly re- viewed the history of the events learning the future. Let me explain. We ing to the resignations of Congress realise that for varying reasons, the Party Ministers,
The orders of the Government must be carried out, especially in time of war, and he believed that the Congress leaders themselves must recognise this.-Reuter.
Reasonable Claim
three main parties to the controversy Lord Zetland pointed out that one-Congress, the All-India Muslim third of the population of British In- League and the Princes entertain ob- dia resides in the provinces of Bengal, Jections to the Federal provisions of
the Act the Punjab, Sind and Assam, where Parliamentary Government was still functioning successfully but in the other seven provinces, as a result of Congress Party's action, the Governors. had been compelled to take over the administration.
"We have, therefore, said we are desirous of consulting, those interests with a view to ascertaining the lines on which they would wish to see the provisions altered. We have made the offer because we accept, the reason- ableness of the claim that the Indians themselves should play a vital part in devising the sort of constitution to the they deem best suited
The Secretary of State said that difficulties between Congress, and the Muslims had not been resolved and, until they were, there was but little prospect of progress in India towards the solution of the question of Indian circumstances of their country. But Government, He again urged meet- we have also said ings between the responsible leaders dissociate ourselves
the shaping
to endeavour to come to some agree of the future constitution of the coun
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