25 AUGUST 1928, Page 2

The Committee of the " All Parties Conference " in

India issued last week a practically unanimous report upon the kind of Constitution which their deliberations have led them to consider their ideal for India. It will be remembered that the Secretary of State uttered some time ago in the House of Lords a kind of challenge to Indians to produce their own idea of an agreed Constitu- tion, instead of only refusing to consider our proposals for them. It is a curious document in so far as it flatters the British genius by recommending a thoroughly demo- cratic scheme for all India (which Great Britain has made one, so far as it is united), closely copied from the struc- ture which that genius has built up for itself. It is also disappointing because every student of geography knows that India is not a " country " like our island, but a continent of many nations. Every student of history knows that without more education and political experi- ence pure democracy will not yet work at all in India ; every student of Oriental races knows that the bulk of the people do not understand and still less want demo- cratic institutions, however good for them. * * *