India
The dismay caused in India by the postponement of the Viceroy's coming announcement is a measure of the tension prevailing throughout India today. The announcement has reference to the
transfer of power from British to Indian hands, a process which does not take effect for over a year yet, and the coming announcement regarding the first steps in that process is put off for only just over a fortnight. There is on the face of it nothing there that need cause anyone much conoern. What evidently does cause concern is the belief that Whitehall is in some way interfering with the Viceroy, who has already gained the confidence of both Hindu and Muslim leaders. There is some superficial ground for the suspicion, for the reason advanced in London—the Whitsuntide recess of Parliament— is unconvincing ; Lord Mountbatten's announcement was to have been made on May 17th, and Parliament does not rise till May 23rd. No indication has been given of the nature of the forthcoming announcement ; it will presumably deal with the partition of India— now regarded by all parties as a foregone conclusion. How far it will give a lead to Indians themselves concerning the solution of what, as an article on a later page shows, are the outstanding problems, the partition of the Punjab, Bengal and possibly Assam, and the future of the North West Frontier Province, may be still unsettled ; any prediction about that is no better than speculation. What is clear is that plans have not worked out as intended. Lord Ismay, who brought a report of Lord Mountbatten's ideas and inten- tions to London, is staying here longer than was expected ; so is Sir Claude Auchinleck, the Commander-in-Chief in India. There may ee nothing in the delay to cause serious concern, but that it is unfortunate is proved clearly enough by the effect it is having in India. Though the two-party Cabinet at Delhi is, as the Calcutta Statesman points out, working reasonably well, communal hostility is smouldering sullenly below the surface throughout India. A chance spark might start a disastrous blaze anywhere.
