NEWS OF THE WEEK
LORD WAVELL'S magnanimous invitation to the various Indian sections to blame him and not themselves for the breakdown of the Simla Conference has been taken up with alacrity in both the Congress and the Moslem League camps. Mr. Jinnah accuses the British, including, of course, the Viceroy, with setting a snare to entrap the Moslem League into accepting places on a Council in which it would have only a minority representation. Maulana Azad is indignant that the refusal of the Moslem League to submit names to the Viceroy has not been followed by the announcement that the Viceroy would choose a new Council without the League—though it had been made clear at the otitset of the negotiations that no new step would be taken without substantial agreement between Congress and League. Those arguments are irrelevant now. The Simla Conference has failed completely, Lord Wavell alone—pace Lord Wavell—coming out of it with an enhanced reputation. As the dust settles, that may prove to be a fact of .some importance. For the moment it suits both sides to criticise Lord Wavell as means of diverting attention from their own shortcomings, but there is little doubt that in fact they feel for him an increased respect. For a period, as the Viceroy says, the situation must remain as it is. The Japanese war has to be finished—and Mr. Jawahatlal Nehru has displayed his statemanship by announcing that Congress will not tolerate" (whatever that may mean) the return of Dutch, British ar American imperialism to countries freed from Japan. Whatever the immediate future in India, the Cripps offer of 1942, including the right of predominantly Moslem provinces to contract out of the proposed Indian Union, stands. Congress, which professes, of course, itself to represent a United India, is radically opposed to such a solution, but after the failure of the Simla Conference attention may be turned to such a division more and more. Yet the holding of provincial elections, and the resumption of democratic government in all the provinces where it is suspended, might change the whole situation for the better.
