26 SEPTEMBER 1931, Page 2

The delegation of the Native States has with the grace

and generosity that the Princes have so often shown marked their sympathy with our financial troubles by forgoing the contribution of the Treasury to their expenses connected with the Conference. The Secretary of State for India addressed a Committee of the Conference on Monday on the suspension of the gold standard, and announced that the present currency standard of India would be maintained on a sterling basis. He urged all prominent Indians to stand by the rupee. On Tuesday in the Legislative Assembly at Simla the Finance member of the Government announced the temporary suspension of the Government's obligation to sell sterling or gold against the rupee. The Indian delegates in the Conference —other than Mr. Gandhi—have accepted this as right and even necessary, and approved the Viceroy's action. On Tuesday he had to put his veto on a debate which at that time could only have been full of conjecture. This week the Report of Sir Philip Chetwode's Committee on the Indian Military College has been published. The purpose is to have a completely Indianized Division and the minutes of several members of the Committee reveal apprehensions on the part of the unwarlike races. They insist on a national Indian Army, but they see that it is from other races that officers and men are willing to be recruited for it.

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