11 JULY 1931, Page 2

India From the Nawab of Bhopal's statement summarizing the situation

at the close of the session of the Chamber of Princes, held at Bombay, it appears that the big States, as was suspected, show small signs of weakening on the principle of Federation and for the most part Want to see it realized on the constitutional lines laid down in the Sankey Report. The Maharajah of Patiala has made a qualified withdrawal of his act of dissension and retired in good order from the hurly-burly of personalities to which that act gave rise, and over which the young Chairman has presided with admirable tact. Many of the smaller States are still suspicious of the end, and openly hostile to the means, which their bulkier neigh- bours find acceptable. It is likely that other schemes will be considered, and be mainly based on the idea of a Federation of Indian India as a safeguarding preliminary to its inclusion in a Federation of British India. Mean- while, in the Punjab and the N.W. Frontier Province, anti-British agitators are exploiting the economic distress to foster the spread of the "Red Shirt" movement. * * *