OCCASIONAL NOTE

Mr. C.F. Andrews writes to the newspapers to say that “the fact has now to be faced, with all its consequences, that selfrespecting Indians are making up their minds – if they have not done so already – that in future they will keep as much as possible apart from Europeans.” It is probable that Mr. Andrews, with the best intentions, has exaggerated the tendency to which he refers, and which, by the way, it would be a great mistake to regard as a new or unprecedented phenomenon. If, however, it has recently become aggravated, the sturdy commonsense of Lord Sinha, expressed at the meeting of the National Indian Association, held in London a week ago, furnishes a useful corrective. There were faults on both sides, Lord Sinha declared. “Indians suffered from mistrust and suspicion, and Englishmen from racial antipathy.” The substantial accuracy of this diagnosis will be generally admitted, and it is to be hoped that it will do something to clear the air. Englishmen are becoming more and more prepared to admit that it is “not impossible for Indians to be their equals socially.” The controversy has shifted largely from that platform to the question of political claims, and here, owing to the attitude of the political class to anti-anarchical legislation, the distrust and suspicion spoken of by Lord Sinha, have tended to colour the British attitude no less than the Indian.

STORMY WEATHER IN THE BAY

RANGOON, JUNE 17

The steamer Bahadur, with one hundred and eighty head of cattle and general cargo and coal has arrived from Calcutta having experienced very bad weather up to the Alguada lighthouse. The vessel was hove to three times, one for 24 hours, to enable the foredeck to be cleared of water, the bodies of dead and injured cattle blocking the scuppers and preventing the water from leaving the deck. Forty-five cattle died from injuries and were thrown overboard during the voyage. Since the arrival of the ship here fifteen more have died. The steamer sustained no serious damage.

MOTOR-CAR FALLS DOWN THE KHUD

A Ford car belonging to Mr. D’Silva of Ranchi, while on a journey to Netarhat, the proposed summer capital of Bihar and Orissa, fell 300 feet down the Pakripat hill, eight miles out of Netarhat, and was completely smashed. It appears that four miles up the new road from Marwai to Netarhat the car came to a stop on a heavy gradient. The driver applied his brakes, got out and re-started the car, but the vibration of the engine caused it to slip backwards and it fell over the side of the road. Fortunately the car was only loaded with luggage, the passengers being in another car. STEAM LAUNCH SUNK RANGOON, JUNE 17 The Commissioner of the Tenasserim Division has ordered the Deputy Commissioner of the Thaton district to hold an official enquiry regarding the sinking of the steam launch Tibet, owned by a Serbaddi of Shwegyin, which was capsized in the river Sittang on Saturday when travelling between Mokpalin and Shwegyin crowded with passengers, forty of whom were drowned. The accident is believed to have been caused by a tidal bore.

NURSES FOR MILITARY HOSPITALS

The Indian Council, St. John Ambulance Association, are prepared to consider applications from ladies in possession of First Aid and Home Nursing Certificates for employment as temporary nurses in military hospitals in India. A number of applications are already registered at Headquarters from ladies whose present whereabouts cannot be traced. These and any others wishing to apply, should communicate at once with the General Secretary, St. John Ambulance Association, Ambulance Headquarters, Simla. An announcement appears in our advertising columns by which applications are invited to Mrs. Cottle, District Lady Superintendent, St. John Ambulance, V.A.D., from ladies who hold St. John Ambulance or Red Cross certificates for “First Aid” and “Home Nursing” and are willing to serve in Military Hospitals, or from ladies wishing to take courses in “First Aid” and “Home Nursing” with a view to service in Military Hospital. MR. GANDHI IN THE WITNESS-BOX BOMBAY, JUNE 17 In connection with the trial of Dr. Kitchlew before the martial law commission at Lahore, Mr. Gandhi was examined on commission before Mr. A.H.S. Aston, Chief Presidency Magistrate, on Monday, at the Esplanade Police Court. Mr. Gandhi was asked if he knew Dr. Kitchlew, to which he replied that he did not know him personally. Questioned whether the Rowlatt Act had anything to do with Satyagraha, he replied in the affirmative. Asked whether to his knowledge Dr. Kitchlew was a lawabiding subject, he said he could not say that as he did not know.