1000 Reasons

No ruler of an Indian State, no Indian statesman, Indian ecclesiastic or Indian businessman of standing came out last week in favor of the Simon Report (TIME, June 30). With virtual unanimity the Indian people, in so far as they are articulate, appeared to reject it. Speaking for imprisoned St. Gandhi, who was not allowed by the British to say anything, Acting Leader Pandit Motilal Nehru said quietly: "We simply shall not pay the slightest heed to the Simon Report."

In London the press naturally took a favorable tone toward Sir John Simon's well meant and laboriously conceived recommendations for giving India a mite more freedom--all except the Daily Herald, news organ closest to Prime Minister James Ramsay MacDonald. This paper recalled that in 1927, when the Simon Commission was organized, Scot MacDonald, then out of office, prophesied: "The Simon Report will give 1,000 reasons for just a little more tutelage." According to the Herald this prophecy has now been fulfilled.

Prophet MacDonald, gravely perplexed, endeavored to raise the Indian question above party lines, called Conservative Stanley Baldwin and Liberal David Lloyd George into consultation, laid before them such ominous statistics as these:

1) Indian imports of British piece goods had fallen in April (the latest month for which statistics were available) from 215,000,000 yards (in April 1929) to 165,000,000 yards.

2) Some 170,000 bales of cloth made in India by British operated mills were piled up in Bombay last week because the Indian buyers had refused to take delivery.

3) Bombay's great British-owned department stores, usually patronized by a 90% Indian custom, stood virtually empty.

After the MacDonald-Baldwin-Lloyd George conference the London press was tentatively informed that, although the Simon Report does not mention and is clearly opposed to granting India so-called "Dominion Status," the Government contemplates "discussing" this concession with Indian leaders.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.