| Show Wellington f Envoy Sought Big Fouron Four Talks on India By Drew Pearson V WASHINGTON Ambassador WASHINGTON Ambassador William Phillips P President r sid e n t Roosevelt's former personal representative representative representative rep rep- In India wrote not merely one but two very critical letters to F D R regarding BritIsh British British Brit Brit- ish policy in India urging Indian independence The first letter published exclusively exclusively ex ex- x- x elusively in this column last July caused Phillips to be recalled recalled recalled re re- called from London where he was serving as political adviser on the staff of or Gen Eisenhower The British government was boiling mad and burned up the cables to Washington It now is possible to give the American public the text of or Ambassador Ambassador Ambassador Am Am- Phillips Phillips' other report Phillips Plan Studied Anew Anew- Phillips made his report a year ago last spring while he was still JUll in India But the bogging down of or the Burma campaign for tor one full year plus Stilwell's trouble in China plus the recent loss of or another United Stat States air b base e in China all have caused Roosevelt advisers to study anew Phillips Phillips' plan The Phillips letter to Roosevelt Roosevelt Roosevelt Roose Roose- velt follows in part Dear Mr President Gandhi has successfully completed his fast and the tho only result of it has been 1 increasing n c rea sing bitterness against the British from large sections of the people The Thc government government government gov gov- has handled the case from the legalist point of or view Gandhi is the enemy and must not be allowed to escape from his just punishment and at all cost British prestige must be main maintained Indians look at it from a different angle Gandhi's followers followers followers fol fol- fol- fol lowers regard him as and worship him Millions who are not his followers look upon him as the foremost Indian atthe of at the day The general situation as I Isee see it today is as follows From the British viewpoint vIe their position is not unreason unreason- able They have been in India for tor years cars and generally speaking internal peace has been maintained They have acquired acquired acquired ac ac- ac- ac vast vested ested interests Inthe Inthe in inthe the country and fear that their withdrawal from India would jeopardize those interests They realize that new forces are arc gatherIng gathering gathering gath gath- ering throughout the world which affect their hold over India India In In- dia and they have ha therefore gone out of ot their way so they believe to offer freedom to India as soon Boon as there are signs that the Indians themselves can form forma a R. secure government This tho the Indian leaders have been unable to do and the British feel that they have done Bono all that they can In the circumstances Freedom movement The Indians on the other hand are caught in the new idea which is sweeping over the world of or freedom for oppressed peoples The Atlantic charter has given the movement great impetus Your speeches have given encouragement en en- There is thus a complete deadlock and I should imagine that the tho viceroy and Churchill are well satisfied to let the deadlock remain as long as possible The Tnt problem therefore is can anything be done to break this deadlock k through our help It seems to me that all we can cando cando cando do is to try to induce the Indian political leaders to meet together and discuss the form of government which they regard as applicable to India and thus to show the world that they have sufficient intelligence to tackle the problem We Ve cannot cannot cannot can can- not suppose that the British government can or will wUl transfer power to India by the scratch of oC a 0 pen at the conclusion of the peace conference unless there is an Indian government fit tit to receive it The question remains therefore how to induce the leaders to begin now to prepare for tor their future responsibilities There is 18 perhaps a way out of the deadlock which I suggest to you ou not because I am sure of at its success but because I think it is worthy of at your tion Phillips Phillips' plan With the the approval and blessing of the British government an invitatIon Invitation invitation tion could be addressed to the leaders of all Indian political groups on behalf of or the president president president dent of or the United States to meet together to discuss plans for the future The assembly could be presided over by an American who could exercise influence in harmonizing the endless divisions of e c caste a s t e c religion race and political views The conference might well be under the tho patronage of the king emperor the president of ot the United States the president president president dent of the soviet union and Chiang shek Kai-shek in order to bring pressure to bear on Indian politicians A American m mer e r I c can a n chairmanship would have the advantage not only of expressing the interest of America in the future independence independence inde inde- of India but would also be a a. guarantee S' to the Indians of at the British offer of at independence nce This is an important import import- ant point because as I have already said in previous letters British promises in this regard are no longer believed If It either of the tho principal parties partie refused to attend the conference it would be notice to all the world that India was not ready for self government and I doubt whether r a political leader eader would put himself in such sucha a position Sincerely yours William Phillips y |
