The new Governor

Lahore, Sunday, August 3, 1924

WHETHER for good reasons or bad, it is usual to look into the first public utterance of a Governor or Governor-General for some indication of the policy which he proposes to follow. The practice has undoubtedly its basis in experience, though experience does not in all cases support the practice. In reality, in at least as many as not, Governors and Governors-General have entirely failed to carry out the promises made by them in their first public utterances. The most conspicuous case in point is that of the present Viceroy himself. No Viceroy ever came out to India with more high-sounding words on his lips. None more speedily or more completely disappointed the hopes which his words had aroused. From this point of view, it is no matter for regret that the first public speech of Sir Malcolm Hailey as Governor of Punjab, the speech made by him at Jullundur in reply to the addresses of welcome presented to him by several public bodies, contains no startling announcement of a new policy. In point of fact, the greater part of the speech does not rise above the commonplace whether in the sentiments it breathes or the manner in which they are expressed. There are three matters of general interest to which Sir Malcolm referred in his speech. Referring to the Babbar Akali trouble, which happily is now a thing of the past, His Excellency said:- “If the primary object of the Government, whatever form it may take, however it may be constituted, is to secure the contentment of the people, the first essential for such contentment is the safeguarding of the lives and properties of its citizens; that object can only be attained with the fullest cooperation of all classes.”