7 MARCH 1931, Page 1

News of the Week Lord Irwin and Mr. Gandhi T HE

most important hnd cheering news which we have had from India for a long time was published in the papers of Wednesday. In the early hours of that morning Lord Irwin and Mr. Gandhi arranged a truce. Mr. Gandhi had full powers to speak for the All-India Congress, and the truce therefore means that " civil disobedience " will end and that the work of the Round Table Conference will be continued with the help of Congress. No more practical tribute could pos- sibly have been paid to the magnificent work of the Round Table Conference in London. Ability and courage have thus received their reward. It was often said that the moderates in India would never stand up under the bombardment of intimidation from the extremists, but what may be called bold moderation has really been winning all the time, though not always visibly. Mr. Gandhi is at last a convert to constructive co-operation. This is a grand new fact.