"PLAYING WITH FIRE."
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR:1 .
Sin,—Sir Edward Law's answer in the National Review to Sir John and Sir Richard Strachey, which is 'so briefly referred to in the Spectator of January 6th, professes to be written from the standpoint of more recent experience of India. Nevertheless, the article has no further indication of Indian experience. It ignores all local factors and features, and is an independent criticism which, as far as knowledge of India is concerned, might as well have been written by the ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer as by, the ex-Financial Minister of India. Of course, notwithstanding his five years in the Viceroy's Council at Simla and Calcutta, and his brief service as a gunner subaltern in Calcutta in 1872, when I well remember him, Sir Edward Law is not an Anglo-Indian as much even as Lord Cromer, Lord Lansdowne, or Lord Elgin. How little of the Anglo-Indian feeling be has is shown by his reference to bazaar rumours. The appearance of his article in no way impugns what was said by the Spectator regarding the unanimous feeling of Anglo-Indians on its subject. In assuming that the Military Secretary under the new conditions will be precisely like the other Secretaries to the Government of India, Sir Edward Law is in direct conflict with what Lord Roberts said on this subject in the House of Lords, and this must be remembered whether the divergent viewe are con- sidered as prophetic or as statements of fact. There are many other points on which Sir Edward Law could be answered, but the above lie on the surface.I am, Sir, &c., W. B. 0.
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