MR. MONTAGU AND INDIA.
(To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTATOR.") SIR,—We have to thank you for your two admirable articles of July 17th pointing out why Mr. Montagu should be removed from the Cabinet. To-day I notice that Sir Michael O'Dwyer, ex-Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab, has addressed a letter to the Times saying that he has asked leave to retire from the Indian Civil Service at an early date. He refers to the fact that numerous officials in India, both British and native, are preparing to resign from the public services as they are " inadequately protected against persecution by the extremist party." The reason why Mr. Lloyd George keeps Mr. Montagu in Dffice is no doubt that he wants to see how his plan of carrying on the government of India under the new Reform Act will succeed, and that he does not care to face the cry of despair that will be uttered by the extremists if Mr. Montagu leaves the India Office. There is no chance whatever that the new Act drafted on the recommendations of Lord Selborne's Committee will have any sort of success. Lord Selborne and most of his Com- mittee were profoundly ignorant of Indian history and Indian conditions. Let your readers study Sleeman's recollections and reflections on Indian history to discover what Indian con- ditions are. Nations do not change in ninety years' time, and though there is much progress in India under British super- vision, the mass of the people are in much the same con- dition as they were in Sleeman's day. There is no chance, in my opinion, of rebellion as we see it in Ireland, because the people are not built that way and some British officials will be left. What will happen is that the grossest apathy will prevail, and there will be nothing but empty words spoken. What I cannot bear to see is the arrest of progress in our great task. Mr. Lloyd George wants to smooth over the present and does not mind what the future will bring. I write this in order to make public my opinion on the situation, whatever
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