22 MARCH 1924, Page 10

One of the chief points made by the European com-

munity in Kenya in defence of their attitude towards the Indian problem in that colony is that the Kenya Indians are only partly civilized from the Western standpoint. Mrs. Naidu, an Indian publicist who has -been travelling through Kenya before going to South Africa, in a final speech before leaving Mombasa spoke forcibly to the local Indian community and gave it some very sensible advice :— " 'I have seen most of you wearing dirty clothing,' she said,

'sleeping in dirty bed linen, and living in filthy houses; yet you desire equality.'"

She concluded, according to the Times : " You will not get equality unless you correct yourselves," and told her countrymen that they should be ashamed of the way in which they were living in the colony. There is much to be said for the watchword adopted by Cecil Rhodes of " Equal political rights for every civilized man," but backward peoples with political aspirations should take to heart Mrs. Naidu's words of warning and qualify themselves for the part they desire to play.