A communication which has reached me from an Army officer
serving in India contains some disconcerting passages—the more dis- concerting in that enquiry shows that they are not baseless: " The most amazing thing about India," he writes, " is the European women. I met a number of them in Kashmir escaping from The heat of the plains. I don't suppose any section of the population is having an easier time in the war. They are mostly wives of officers- in the Indian army. They are enter- tained by officers on leave. I only met one who does any serious war-work during the winter in Bombay. In the summer she gives it up. Most of them feel they are making great sacrifices by going to dances for officers. They spend most of their time complaining of the high prices and the shortage of golf balls. Their attitude to the Indian is much worse than the ' Blimp ' Indian Army officer, and their chil- dren are brought up to order their Indian servants about in a way which few sergeant-majors would speak to a private."
This, let me say with emphasis, is not an indictment which has universal application. In Bombay and many other centres English- women are doing admirable war-work at considerable self-sacrifice. But of all too many what this unprejudiced observer, setting down his personal impressions and experiences, writes must, I am afraid, be accepted as true. There is a factor here which does as 'Bitch harm to Anglo-Indian relations as most political issues.
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