INDIANS AND THE WAR.
[To THE EDITO1 OF THE "SPECTATOR] SIR,—Now that his Majesty the King-Emperor has given expression to our national pride and satisfaction in having the cheerful and loyal help of our Indian fellow-subjects, I may be allowed to tell a little story showing that Indians have just the gay and gallant sense of humour that animates the letters of our own soldiers. Some weeks ago, when the Indian attidents in this country volunteered for any kind of war service that might be open to them, one of them said to me: "There is perhaps not much that we can do. But in times of old, when our own Hindu Rama carried his armies across the sea to punish the ravisher Ravana, lie did not disdain to use the services of the dusky dwellers in the Deccan forests. We are glad to serve as the son of Pavane served Rama, knowing that the armies of the King-Emperor are fighting, as Rama's armies fought, in the defence of truth and equity and innocence." The proudly humorous humility of this statement of the case will strike all who have even an elementary knowledge of Hindu mythology. All honour to the gay and gallant subjects of the Maharaja Bharatesvar. It is a libel to say that Indians are lacking in gaiety and
Previous page
