10 AUGUST 1918, Page 2

Mr. Montagu defended his Report on Indian Reform in the

House of Commons on Tuesday. He denied that he was the originator of the policy, which he had inherited from Mr. Chartiberlain. The Government pronouncement of August 201,11 laat—;Whieh in Nudity reaffirmed the histotie principle underlying our Indian adminis- tration—committed us, he said, to responsible government. He

admitted that the whet° sucoess of the scheme -d upon getting an eleotorate thoroughly representative of ailrppi les of India, and that illiteracy, caste distinctions, and 'ootnIntinalantago- nisms were fOrnlidable obstadles -to deumerstio ptogiffitaill

Mr. Chamberlain, supporting Mr. Montagu, said that it would be "equally foolish to refuse to advance or to move too fast." In the House of Lords the same day Lord Sydenham subjected the Report, to a most drastic criticism. Lord Curr.on explained that the Government had not yet been able to consider the scheme which Mi. Montagu wishes us to accept as revealed truth.