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Tele. Address: INSTATUCOM.
Indian Statutory Commission, Royal Courts of Justice, W. C. 2 . Dated 2nd July, 1 930
My dear Buchan,
I wonder whether you would consider writing a letter to the "Times" referring to Sastri's observation when addressing H. of C . Members yesterday, to the effect that the Viceroy 's announcement of November lst about the "ultimate issue" of the Montagu policy being "Dominion status" was regarded by Indians as proclaiming a new policy. The worst of the announcement, in my judgment, was that it was framed in terms which would give one impression in India and a different impression in Britain. My chief concern now is that the same mistake should not be repeated in the course of the next few days, as I fear it may be.
Look at the P . M's letter to Baldwin enclosed, which stated in terms that the Viceroy's declaration implied no change in policy at all. Yet Press telegrams from Simla actually hint that the Government of India is encouraging the idea that it proclaimed "a new objective"!
No one has more genuine sympathy for Edward's difficulties than I have, but really they are very largely due to the fatal mistake of calculated ambiguity. No one expects the Government here and now to say that it adopts the Commission's recommendations (though I must say I do not think it would be quite out of place for the Viceroy to point out that they should be studied instead of being denounced, and that Indians must realise that the only useful contribution any one can make
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Tele. Address: INSTATUCOM.
Indian Statutory Commission, Dated 1928.
make is to propound a detailed constructive scheme instead of repeating a slogan). But I feel that it would be in the end absolutely disastrous if, in a desire to please Indian critics, the Viceroy lets it be understood that the coming Conference may treat the Commission as an incubus now happily removed, so that the way is clear for some other and more advanced plan which nobody attempts to define. I know, of course, that Irwin does this be cause he hopes thereby to attract Indian support: but, believe me, no Indian will ever stand by the Goverment of India if he thinks it is in continuous retreat .
Dawson's leader this morning shows how anxious he is . It is not conceit, but some knowledge of the real facts, which makes me look with concern on the accumulating evidence that Benn and Irwin are hoping to secure the Indian moderates by putting the Report away on a shelf (they have not had time to read it), and letting it be understood that the Conference is being held simply to frame a Dominion constitution. If they do this , they are not only jettisoning the only constructive plan in existence, but they are preparing for themselves a repetition of Sastri's reproach that India has been misled, with every infuriated and outraged Indian politician at their heels. And the end will be complete and abject surrender, all because they do not like to admit that the Report is an extremely progressive and adv anced document , which
