Durbar

Toward mighty Khyber Pass, the Empire's most romantic and reputedly most dangerous frontier, traveled Earl Willingdon last week, taking along the golden throne on which he sits as Viceroy of India. For this elaborate pilgrimage there were urgent reasons of state.

Beyond the Khyber lies unruly Afghanistan and behind its King Nadir Khan looms Soviet Russia. In the past year raids, riots, savage bloodletting and civil disturbance have burst forth alarmingly in the North-West Frontier territory. Therefore last week it was "raised to the status of a Governor's Province"--this British boon being conferred upon the dazzled natives with a show of might and riches calculated to arouse wholehearted fear and admiration for the British Raj.

In Peshawar, capital of the newly-created Governor's Province, natives gaped with wonder at the chuffing in of the glistening white Viceregal Train, prostrated themselves as Lord & Lady Willingdon alighted with the icy-smiling mien of ruling sovereigns. The natives stuck their brown fingers into their hairy ears as heavy British field guns shook the earth with a meaningful salute.

The durbar was to be in Victoria Memorial Hall. There on a dais the golden Viceregal Throne had been set up. Crowded close to each other on one side of the hall stood 500 frontier Khans, all in their richest gold sashes and blue turbans, all bright-eyed with mass expectancy. On the other side, starchy and aloof, stood 200 British officers and civil servants, many of them battle-scarred oldsters. Present also as Their Excellencies entered and the durbar solemnly began were the 40 who were about to become the Legislative Council.

Advancing to within twelve paces of the Throne, Sir Evelyn Howell, Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, loudly asked viceregal assent to proceed with creation of the new Governor's Province and with the installation as Governor of Lieut. Col. Sir Ralph Edwin Hotchkin Griffith, recently the British Resident of Waziristan* but formerly a popular British officer in Peshawar.

Regally Lord Willingdon gave his assent, then administered to Sir Ralph: 1) his oath of allegiance to the King-Emperor and 2) his oath of office. That was all for the day, except more ear-splitting salutes followed by "God Save the King."

What happened next day (and indeed what happens at any time in the North-West Frontier Province) was not "news" to be lightly observed and reported by correspondents but the subject of Government handouts. According to this the Viceroy showed his "faith and trust" in the tribal chieftains by permitting them to guard and ensure his safety on a short drive into the Khyber Pass "as far as the high ground" (from which Afghanistan may be sighted) and back to Peshawar. A very old chief under a voluminous shamianah (canopy) assured Lord Willingdon that "all the trouble hereabouts is due to the young men who are only one in 20 of us. All the rest are loyal and we pray the Government to show pity on us poor people. We pray that the Government will show its pleasure by permitting us to enlist again in the army and the police." Lastly the old chief made traditional "presents of fidelity" to Lord Willingdon--a long musket (its butt inlaid with gold), a set of carved daggers, some mountain goats and some fat-tailed sheep.

On his third day in Peshawar Viscount Willingdon opened the new North-West Frontier Legislative Council, an ostensibly parliamentary body with little real power. From his golden throne he read a speech on behalf of George V, King & Emperor. Said His Majesty, through His Excellency's lips, "On peace and good government in the North-West Frontier Province depends in great measure the security of India. I look with confidence to the people of the province so to order their affairs that the momentous change which my Viceroy is today inaugurating will conduce to the benefit of their province and India as a whole."

To promote good government throughout India the British Raj pardoned and released from jail last week numerous pickpockets and minor criminals, thus making room for followers of Mahatma Gandhi. Some 350 criminals were released from Yerovda Jail where St. Gandhi is held on no charge "during His Majesty's pleasure."

The Raj was trying to prevent the Gandhite Indian National Congress from holding its 49th session at New Delhi. Fifteen minutes after she left Bombay the Congress President, famed Indian Poetess Mrs. Sarojini Naidu, was arrested. Her successor as President, India's revered Pandit Mohan Malavija, was arrested as he reached New Delhi along with 369 delegates to the Congress. These arrests (in the opinion of British officials at the Vice-regal Capital) placed under lock & key in various parts of India some 50,000 followers of the Mahatma "including all who are nationally known."

If he breaks the Gandhite movement, restores India to submission and thus saves the most valuable adjunct of Empire stern Lord Willingdon may even be rewarded with a dukedom.* perhaps "Duke of Gandhiland."

*The Waziristan sector of the North-West Frontier Province, states The Indian Year Book, "has always been the most difficult of the whole, because of the intractable character of the people."

*To dukedom (highest rank in the peerage) has been created since that of Argyll in 1892.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.