Sir William Ashley, the well-known economist, died last week. He
served this country and Canada well by his teaching, particularly on historical lines, and he was always ready to give his time and knowledge to valuable work on Commissions and inquiries of a social or economic nature. The death of Brigadier-General Dyer recalls a controversy which will never be 'settled. There will always be those who will contend that he " saved India " in April, 1919, by mercilessly putting fear into the dangerous crowd at Amritsar which refused to obey the civil authority. It may be so ; certainly we cannot estimate the danger better than he could. But there were features of his action which can only be repugnant to us even if there was reason for calling them stern necessities. He had brilliance and courage, and did splendidly on the Eastern Persian frontier during the War ; but he lacked stability, if we can judge not only from the Amritsar affair, but from his conduct before the Hunter Commission, which, as Mr. Justice MeCardie said later, failed to hold a satisfactory judicial inquiry, largely owing, we believe, to General Dyer himself. * * * *
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