A remarkable letter by the Maharajah of Bikaner appears in
the Times of Tuesday. It is written in answer to an article entitled "India: 1857-1907: Retrospect and Prospect," which was published in Blackwood's Magazine last May, but not written by Mr. Charles Whibley, as the Maharajah supposed. The author of that article said of the ruling Princes of India that "their loyalty to us is, natnrally enough, begotten of self-interest; it is absurd to speak of it as patriotism," and he added that it was hard to believe that if in a crisis of British fortunes the Princes saw a reasonable chance of throwing off our yoke and establishing an independent Federation of native States, they would decide to stand by us. The Maharajah of Bikaner writes with some warmth that stand by us is precisely what be and his fellow-Princes, on whose behalf he claims to speak, unquestionably would do. He calls the statement in Blackwood's Magazine a "gross libel." He refers to the numerous and well-known instances in which the feudatory Princes have spontaneously rendered armed help to the British cause, not only in India but abroad, as, for example, when the Maharajah of Gwalior sent out a hospital ship to China in 1900, and the Maharajah of Bikaner himself led his own camel corps to the relief of Peking. The Maharajah of Bikaner does not pretend that he thinks the relations of the British Government with the native States ideal; but he realises that British rule is absolutely necessary for India, and his assurance of the loyal help we can always rely upon will, we are sure, be received here with grateful appreciation.
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