Appeal for cooperation

OPINION may differ regarding Sir Mahomed Shafi’s statement in the speech he made at the first farewell banquet given in honour of the Earl of Reading at Simla, over which he presided, that “the great achievement for which credit was due to His Excellency was that he had persuaded the Baldwin Government to commit itself to an earlier revision of the Act, provided cooperation was forthcoming in India.” However, there will be no difference of opinion regarding his statement that “the Swarajists are fully cooperating in the Central Legislature, while the Liberals have always believed in Indo-British cooperation,” and that, therefore, “this is the psychological moment for a generous gesture” which he wished might come before the Viceroy left India. It has been our lot to differ from Sir Shafi in many matters and on most occasions; and even in the present case, we do differ from him as regards much that he said. It gives us all the greater pleasure, therefore, to record our agreement with him regarding this vital matter. Lord Reading’s own speech on the occasion is chiefly notable as an illustration of the difficulty which even hard-headed statesmen feel in resisting the temptation of dwelling upon what might have been. “I sometimes wonder,” he said, “that the political sagacity of India has not rushed to grasp the hand held out. Indians could have said, ‘we still hold to our opinion, but as progress must depend on cooperation and goodwill, we are prepared to accept the offer’.” His Excellency will perhaps admit that this dwelling upon the might-have-been is a game at which two can play.