A NEW OUTLOOK ON INDIA
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sul,—Were there in India the presence of Extremists on any considerable scale, I should thoroughly agree with your editorial remarks on correspondence in your last issue that a political change of some sort is overdue. But I would again remind you that the present vocal lawyer and politician extremists are a mere, at most, 2 or 3 per cent. of the peoples of India, and represent no one but themselves.
They, and what they stand for, are loathed by the other much larger minorities, such as the Untouchables and most of the Mahomedan and martial races, while the vast majority of the peoples of India wish only for honest, orderly adminis- tration such as they have enjoyed in the past under. British rule, and which, I fear, with the present attenuated British staffs they are unlikely to have, in the future, to the same extent.
Were these extremists preaching sedition and inciting to mutiny now laid by the heels as they should be, all trouble would, as before, quickly subside. Were these leaders firmly dealt with, no trouble beyond that coward's weapon, an occas- ional political assassination by the hand of some of their miserable dupes need be anticipated; and our education pro- gramme can go ahead, though I believe democracy is a vain dream as far as India is concerned.
But what has to be feared,as we are going at present, is that the martial races, despishrg our preswned weakness in dealing
with such, for the most part, frothy babblers and visionaries, and thinking that we have lost our power of ruling, may, in despair, rise against us, rather than undergo the indignity of, even for a time, under our protection, being subjected to the rule of a class they loathe and despise.
This danger may be nearer than most at home here imagine. —I am, Sir, &c., [We regret that a misprint occurred in Sir Patrick Fagan's letter on this subject last week. In the third line of the fourth paragraph the words " outcome of their government by force," should read " outcome of alien government by force." —En. Spectator.]
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